Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Anger within emirate levelled at leadership

In Dubai’s buttoned down society, criticism of those in power is taboo. But the impact of the emirate’s debt crisis, piled on top of the recession’s effects, is fostering a loosening of that proscription.

Anger has been directed at the top lieutenants of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler, especially Sultan bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World. Mr Sulayem’s denials of financial problems over the past year are seen as leading to a last-minute call for a standstill deal with creditors, prompting a deluge of negative media coverage around the world.

“Never has so much damage been done to so many people by so few,” remarked one local on a social media site, twisting Winston Churchill’s famous quote.

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