Until relatively recently, most Americans probably never heard of the United Arab Emirates. But increasingly, this confederation of seven tiny emirates (most notably Dubai)
has generated considerable attention in the American and European media. The UAE is transforming itself into the dominant Persian Gulf destination for commerce, industry, sports
and culture. Massive construction projects have reshaped the landscape and the influx of visitors to the country's ultra-modern luxury tourism and shopping centers has turned
this once-sleepy backwater into a vibrant economic powerhouse. But has there been a PR price to pay for this? This week, we examine three recent news developments from the UAE
to determine if the country is on track with platinum-covered Good PR or if it being weighed down with tinny Bad PR.
| The PR Focus | Good PR or Bad PR? |
|---|---|
| The Guggenheim Foundation announced plans to construct its largest museum in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. Frank Gehry, who designed the
Guggenheim's landmark structure in Bilbao, Spain, has been tapped to be the architect of the 30,000-square-foot museum. The artwork will come from the Guggenheim's extensive collection of modern and contemporary art. |
GOOD PR: The UAE is investing heavily in tourism as a major source of national revenue. If the example of Bilbao is any indication, culture
vultures will flock to a distant location to experience Gehry's boldly imaginative design and the Guggenheim's collection. The museum announcement did not mention representation of UAE artists, but hopefully that will in the mix as well. |
| The UAE government signed a new law into effect that guarantees life imprisonment for those discovered to be engaged in human trafficking and
slavery. This follows embarrassing reports that children were being kidnapped and sold by their families in Asia and Africa for slave labor in the UAE, where they were kept imprisoned and malnourished in order to work as jockeys in Bedouin camel races. |
BAD PR: Yes, it is good news that the UAE is finally taking the child enslavement issue seriously. But it is terrible PR that it took until 2006
for this to happen. If the UAE wishes to present itself to the world as modern, cutting-edge center of global commerce and culture, it needs to seriously address the human rights problems within its borders. Message to the Bedouins: Look at the calendar, acknowledge the year, and get with the program! |
| A news item from the United Press International reports that the UAE government is in talks with Cisco Systems to help local telecom operators
launch a VoIP network within that country. VoIP, which enables the use of the Internet for voice telephony, is currently against the law in the UAE, although the UPI story states it may be legalized later this year. |
BAD PR: Banning VoIP is typical of the fear that many Arab governments express towards Internet technology (and the free exchange of information
that comes with it). And having Cisco as the UAE vendor of choice is also troubling: Cisco received worldwide criticism for its construction of China's heavily censored, government-controlled Internet operations. |