they are still far behind China

Really? Yet everyone speaks english well in the UAE and it is spotlessly clean? Qatar is one of the worlds largest economies by GDP? Funny backward places indeed!!

Oman, not a rich gulf country by gulf state standards, could give me a visa electron card in 10 minutes. It took 1 hour just to get a unionpay card for me yesterday due to the incompetence and poor training of local bank staff.

I'd say they are a lot more advanced, in so many ways, than they are given credit for. Treatment of women? China has the highest female suicide rate in the world?!

Happy holiday
SMNGS