Tuesday, March 4, 2008


While the US falls deeper and deeper into debt, home are being foreclosed by the thousands, and oil price hitting record highs at about 103 dollars a barrel. Places like Duabi in the United Arab Emirates are literal building new islands and creating cities on them like this.


wikipedia has this to say about the United Arab Emirates economy

"The United Arab Emirates has a highly industrialized economy that makes the country one of the most developed in the world, based on various socioeconomic indicators such as GDP per capita, energy consumption per capita, and the Human Development Index.


The GDP per capita is currently the 5th in the world and 3rd in the Middle East after Qatar and Kuwait as measured by the CIA World Factbook, or the 17th in the world as measured by the International Monetary Fund; while at $168 billion in 2006, with a small population of 4 million, the GDP of the UAE ranks second in the CCASG (after Saudi Arabia), third in the Middle East — North Africa (MENA) region (after Saudi Arabia and Iran), and 38th in the world (ahead of Malaysia)."

While Duabi may be rapidly constructing the facade of a 21st century Modern western city which is a destination for international tourism there are many elements of the society still remain arcane and backwards. Homosexuality is considered a crime which is punishable by prison time and mandated psycho therapy.

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