A throng of Abu Dhabi residents draped in the flags of the United Arab Emirates massed around the entrance to a sprawling conference centre this month, queuing for a rare taste of democracy in the emirate.
“Vote for Abu Dhabi First. We strengthen our economy,” said a hoarding bearing the images and numbers of the party’s candidates. Pamphlets were distributed, deals were made, hands shaken and campaign promises reiterated by candidates.
Rather than parliamentary elections – which remain rare and often symbolic affairs in the autocratic Gulf – the candidates were seeking to win board memberships to the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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