What a waste of energy

Leader whose life spanned the Gulf state's growth from backwater to global player, By Robin Allen Published: January 16 2006, Financial Times

Kuwait's Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah, ruler since 1977 of the oil-rich state, died over the weekend aged 79, paving the way for a long-awaited succession by his ailing distant cousin, Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Salem al-Sabah......Sheikh Jaber never lost the trappings of a traditional autocrat. On one occasion in 1979, when Britain's Queen Elizabeth attended a race meeting, she congratulated Sheikh Jaber on his horse coming home first of the nine runners. The ruler replied casually, "They're all my horses.".....Sheikh Jaber was married as many as 30 times. He leaves 23 sons and at least 15 daughters.

Dubai in mourning after emir, 62, dies in Australian hotel
Brian Whitaker, Thursday January 5, 2006, The Guardian

Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and a world-renowned owner and breeder of racehorses, died suddenly in Australia yesterday, aged 62. ...The emir, who had been staying at the Palazzo Versace luxury hotel on the Gold Coast in Queensland, had arrived on December 28 in his personal Boeing 747-400, apparently to attend the Magic Millions yearling sale, which starts next week.....At home, he generally maintained a low profile, preferring to allow his younger brothers to run the day-to-day affairs of Dubai, one of seven wealthy mini-states that make up the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia is the largest oil exporting nation of the world, Kuwait and UAE also contribute to a great amount in the world oil exports.....the geographic and political importance of Middle East is very important...better understood by the West than the Arabs themselves.... its also the holiest place for devout Muslims....yet the increase in scale of global Islamic terrorism makes me wonder what the rulers of those countries have been doing all along....doing something for their region, for humanity, for Muslims, for Islam....doing something like not only building shining expensive mosques and madrasas in remote corners of impoverished countries like Bangladesh...not only building expensive hotels in sea shores of Dubai...not only keeping large stables and expensive horses managed by white jockeys in England....but effectively establishing a just democratic society by spreading scientific education, infrastucture development, economic freedom...for themselves and for the poorer Islamic nations around Middle East...but what a pity....they are still harboring monarchies.....and are the best allies of the 'democracy champion' of the world--The United States....they even don't know how many times they marry in one life time and how many children they have produced....expensive harems, private jets, family run state, lavish lifestyle and oil....all in the banner of the 'vanguard of Islam'....what a shame...how well they could have capitalised their comparative advantages in terms of natural and financial resources...just see what they are doing....and interestingly enough...world press gives coverage either to the terrorists with Islamic names....holding AK-47s and the Quran with hostages etc....or to 'blessed Muslim souls' like Jaber al-Sabah and Maktoum....who died still oiling the West's industrial wheels and machines....moderate Muslims usually don't make space in international press...as they are still confused.....and haven't done anything 'significant enough' to deserve a space there....note that 'significant' does not mean blowing up a bomb and killing 'infidels'....or spreading the seed around and contributing greatly to the world's population...or flying in private jets where fellow citizens are illiterate, poor and camel-riding nomads. Sad...very sad.