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November 2009 
The Arab World Looks To A New America
Posted on Nov 21st, 2008
by 
Albert
Albert
SPIEGEL ONLINE summarizes some Arab emotions, thoughts and expectations from the Arab World regarding the next US president and his foreign policy.
Its clear thast now tough learning processes for all stakeholders are in demand. At the heart of this change are the cultural codes. Poltics and business should reflect an understanding of it.
As much from the new Government as from Arab Leaders. As I am engaged in this context since last 4 years I know personally what it takes. At a simple business level. Vmemetic landscapes -especially across Europe, Mideast and USA are huge canyons with big spaces betwen them and to bridge some gaps demands than the boldest architects and designers. And of course collaboration in infinite ways. Making hands dirty and moving in the real worlds.
The Arab World Looks To A New America
By Gerhard Spörl and Bernhard Zand
The US has long been a model for many parts of the Arab world, but the Bush administration's foreign policy led to rifts. Now, the region has high hopes from America, but they aren't sure what to expect from President-elect Barack Obama.
It's about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, which is roughly the distance from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara. One hundred years ago, California was the El Dorado for the Americans, a land on the horizon, far off near the edge of their map and yet at the center of their fantasies. Today, the Gulf Emirates occupy a similar place in the imaginations of the Arabs. Rich. Modern. Bold. The Emirates are enlightened where much of the Arab world is repressed and held back by its self-imposed restrictions. Many a young man in the slums of Cairo, in the prisons of Baghdad or behind the walls of Palestine has dreamt of speeding, wild and free, along the road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in an SUV or in a convertible earned through his own hard work.
The coastal road, known as highway 11, recently received new signs similar to those in the US, including emblems like those used in the Interstate highway system, indicating whether a driver is going "northbound" or "southbound." The step was not an arbitrary one. Even though the British controlled this part of the world for centuries, modern Gulf Arabs have always looked to their protective power, the United States, emulating its capitalism and megalomania. The skyscrapers of Dubai and the checkerboard urban landscapes of Doha and Kuwait are concrete acknowledgements of their role model.
"I love everything about America," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, said two years ago. His words reflected the sentiments of a growing class of ambitious Arabs who are tired of being seen as the eternal losers in world history. He spoke on behalf of those who are simply interested in doing business and have long felt alienated by the leftist and nationalist ideologies of pan-Arabism, by Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia and by the Palestinians' obsession with victimhood. But despite the rapid pace of progress in this futuristic region during the last eight years, the current administration in Washington has made things difficult for these modern Arabs. This explains why the sheikh of Dubai followed his words of adoration with a much-quoted caveat: "I love everything about America, except for its foreign policy."
Read more.
Access: Public
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
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