The UAE also considers homesexuality illegal, and punishbale by a jail sentence. Guest workers are grossly underpaid and their employers hold their passports. The UAE also kicks out anyone past retirement age not born in the UAE if they don't hold a job. Discrimination in the workplace is not uncommon in the UAE. Employers often discriminate blatantly on the basis of religion, nationality, and sex in job ads.
The UAE has never held an election. All decisions rest in the hands of the dynastics rulers of the seven separate emirates of the UAE. Despite the UAE constitution which advocates free speech, the government severely restricts this right. You can't criticize prominent families, the government, and so on. They often censor journalism too of anything that they deem is a 'threat to society'.
They censor textbooks and curriculums in both public and private schools.
They also have no labor unions. While their constitution advocates equal rights for all, woman's social, economic, and legal rights are not always protected because of traditional biases against women.
It may look nice, but thats just the result of an overly powerful government that forces its people to sacrifice many of its freedoms. The city of Dubai in my mind is the product of a reprobate and orwellian government trying to disguise its immoral and manipulative polices with a flagrant display of prosperity, supposedly gained through a more democratic-friendly government.
But in reality is just a slightly modified monarchy.
I'm glad I live in a country that values freedom for all over an island shaped like a palm-tree. The city of Dubai despite its architectural wonders sickens me.
