Camel jockey case threatens Dubai's reputation
Thursday, 5 July 2007
Simeon Kerr
A case in a Florida court reaches crunch point this month, threatening to damage Dubai's efforts to resettle itself as a modern business centre of unimpeachable reputation.
A judge on July 16 will either dismiss or start a trial in which thousands of former camel jockeys and their families seek damages for the alleged abuse in Dubai of underage children during 30 years of the sport.
The case, which names Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his brother as defendants, is a source of embarrassment and frustration for the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the UAE prime minister, last May even sent a letter to George W. Bush requesting the US president intervene in the case, noting the UAE's role as a US ally in the "war on terror".
For Dubai, which touts itself as a model for the region, mixing moderation with business savvy, the case illustrates how former abuses can resonate years into the future - the UAE finally enforced a ban on the use of young boys as jockeys in 2005, repatriating and compensating victims in partnership with the UN children's fund Unicef. The races endure, but robots have replaced children.
"We are on the radar screen - some people call it a celebrity tax," says Habib al-Mulla, who is representing the royal family in the Florida case, which he dismisses as baseless and extraterritorial.
The Dubai lawyer is also helping co-ordinate the emirate's new strategy of identifying and dealing with issues that attract international scrutiny.
Dubai's recognition of the need to defend its reputation came into focus when Dubai Ports World's acquisition of P&O triggered a wave of panic over an Arab company operating US ports. The emirate, a long-standing ally that provides support for US naval vessels, sold the ports to end the fuss, but remains on the prowl for US acquisitions.
Dubai is tackling other areas of concern, starting with the treatment of hundreds of thousands of construction workers toiling to build Dubai's gleaming skyscrapers on salaries of around $150 a month.
The UAE government is trying to improve the often wretched living conditions of South Asian construction workers and enforce the payment of delayed wages. It is also considering some form of collective bargaining - though falling short of calls for trade unions. Mr Mulla says the authorities have decided the country's reputation trumps any local resistance to change - even among construction groups that might complain about the impact on their bottom line. "There may have to be sacrifices, but all this has to change, and it will change," he said.
In a shot across the bows of those who traffic prostitutes into Dubai's thriving night life, the authorities have closed two pick-up joints, Cyclone and Amnesia. The move aimed to punish establishments that turn a blind eye to the trade in human flesh.
While the authorities concede abolishing prostitution in a busy port city will be impossible, it still sent a strong message, given the night-clubs' mythical status in the local sex trade.
Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, is also looking to tighten export controls to make sure its ports and airports are not used to transport nuclear and explosive components to Iran and Pakistan, Dubai's closest trading partners.
A recently passed federal law sets out further controls on the passage of goods through the UAE's ports, leading to one recent success, when a company that was exporting parts to Iran that could have dual use as an explosive device was shut down.
Mr Mulla refuses to be drawn on whether all these initiatives have come from a commitment to solve problems or a desire to portray Dubai in a better light. "What is important is that the end result is a solution and action to deal with the issue - what matters is the result," he says.
(Under Syndication arrangement with FE)
A case in a Florida court reaches crunch point this month, threatening to damage Dubai's efforts to resettle itself as a modern business centre of unimpeachable reputation.
A judge on July 16 will either dismiss or start a trial in which thousands of former camel jockeys and their families seek damages for the alleged abuse in Dubai of underage children during 30 years of the sport.
The case, which names Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his brother as defendants, is a source of embarrassment and frustration for the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the UAE prime minister, last May even sent a letter to George W. Bush requesting the US president intervene in the case, noting the UAE's role as a US ally in the "war on terror".
For Dubai, which touts itself as a model for the region, mixing moderation with business savvy, the case illustrates how former abuses can resonate years into the future - the UAE finally enforced a ban on the use of young boys as jockeys in 2005, repatriating and compensating victims in partnership with the UN children's fund Unicef. The races endure, but robots have replaced children.
"We are on the radar screen - some people call it a celebrity tax," says Habib al-Mulla, who is representing the royal family in the Florida case, which he dismisses as baseless and extraterritorial.
The Dubai lawyer is also helping co-ordinate the emirate's new strategy of identifying and dealing with issues that attract international scrutiny.
Dubai's recognition of the need to defend its reputation came into focus when Dubai Ports World's acquisition of P&O triggered a wave of panic over an Arab company operating US ports. The emirate, a long-standing ally that provides support for US naval vessels, sold the ports to end the fuss, but remains on the prowl for US acquisitions.
Dubai is tackling other areas of concern, starting with the treatment of hundreds of thousands of construction workers toiling to build Dubai's gleaming skyscrapers on salaries of around $150 a month.
The UAE government is trying to improve the often wretched living conditions of South Asian construction workers and enforce the payment of delayed wages. It is also considering some form of collective bargaining - though falling short of calls for trade unions. Mr Mulla says the authorities have decided the country's reputation trumps any local resistance to change - even among construction groups that might complain about the impact on their bottom line. "There may have to be sacrifices, but all this has to change, and it will change," he said.
In a shot across the bows of those who traffic prostitutes into Dubai's thriving night life, the authorities have closed two pick-up joints, Cyclone and Amnesia. The move aimed to punish establishments that turn a blind eye to the trade in human flesh.
While the authorities concede abolishing prostitution in a busy port city will be impossible, it still sent a strong message, given the night-clubs' mythical status in the local sex trade.
Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, is also looking to tighten export controls to make sure its ports and airports are not used to transport nuclear and explosive components to Iran and Pakistan, Dubai's closest trading partners.
A recently passed federal law sets out further controls on the passage of goods through the UAE's ports, leading to one recent success, when a company that was exporting parts to Iran that could have dual use as an explosive device was shut down.
Mr Mulla refuses to be drawn on whether all these initiatives have come from a commitment to solve problems or a desire to portray Dubai in a better light. "What is important is that the end result is a solution and action to deal with the issue - what matters is the result," he says.
(Under Syndication arrangement with FE)