The Doha Debate Pole - Dubai? Good or Bad?

I was fortunate in having some time to watch the Doha Debates on Saturday (January 9, 2010). The topics for discussion ranged from the economic advantages/disadvantages of the Dubai projects to the affect on the citizens themselves that lived there.

While governments around the world tighten restrictions on press freedom, the Doha Debates openly dissect the vital issues of the Middle East in front of its people and on global television

The Doha Debates The Doha Debates are a unique venture in the Arab world, providing a battleground for conflicting opinions and arguments about the major political topics of the region.

One gentleman in the audience made a very bold and valid point about the continuation of slave labor ($2.00 per day) of up to 60,000 individuals to whom assisted in the building Dubai's enormous buildings. This comment was discredited and avoided by one of the panel spokes persons Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith. Dr. Nassar is an Emirati financial analyst specialising in economic trading blocs. Although, he did agree that this type of labor exists, and that solutions are being entertained to exercise tighter laws with regards to the business practices of contracted companies.

One of my favorite panelists was Sharla Musabih. Sharla is an Emirati citizen who founded the City of Hope shelter for women and children in Dubai in 2001. She made a very bold comment about how the media, even in Dubai, never tells the full truth about current topics and events. She compared Dubai as being like New York City on steroids and that it was built way too big way too fast and this was a huge contributing factor the the lurking economic failures to come in Dubai. Lots of nice pretty big buildings with nobody to occupy them. That comments made me laugh. I like this lady.

An audience pole at the end of the show to the question "Dubai a Good or Bad Idea?" was answered with a 62% of voters being against the Dubai project...

Anyway, please find attached a link to the BBC news page that details topics of the debate. Enjoy, and please share your thoughts. Also, should anyone come across any related video clips of the said debate, please post them for others to view.

BBC WORLD NEWS - Doha Debates


Thanks

In the words of Ben Stein in Ferris Buller's Day Off......ANYONE?...ANYONE?

Day two.... Nobody interested in this topic? Suprising.