
Wired has an interesting article on Dubai's bid to become the media and communications hub of the Middle East. It's got some questionable ideological rhetoric about the nature of Islamic culture, but it's also got good bits on the rise of Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Arab tourism and the growth of the tech sector in the region. Definitely worth reading.
Dubai is one of the most class-stratified cities in the world.
God save us (no Islamic pun intended) if this is a model for the Arab world. Give me Cairo any old day.