The men behind Man city: If you thought Qatar was a problem, wait till you get a load of Abu Dhabi

[Treble]

Football has become a huge business. Which has given the big clubs a huge advantage. But this attracted the attention of big investors like the sheikhs.

Their competitive advantage is that they can make much more risky investments. To buy a midtable club and try to turn it into a big club doesn't look a great prospect financially wise. But they can afford the risk. And they are well on the way to succeed in pure business terms. All this PR talk miss the fact that the investment in City may turn out to be highly successful. If they continue to develop the club, it will cost much more than the money they have invested.

 

[M18CTID]

With the help of Cohen and many posters on here, we can finally overthrow our Government. They can then decide who is best fit to rule our country. Only then, we can return back all the workers’ confiscated phones, so that they can call their fellow countrymen back home, and warn them about how shitty it really is down here, and ask them to stop coming for good.

I’ve just read Cohen’s piece and it’s an utterly bizarre article. He starts off as a United fan wanking off over City’s football (so much so that he could well post on here, given the amount of fawning we’ve seen from some United posters about City on here of late) then, albeit briefly, goes on to criticise the UAE and the conditions migrant workers face, then he veers totally off topic to rant about Brexit and UK politics.

 

[Needham]

I’ve just read Cohen’s piece and it’s an utterly bizarre article. He starts off as a United fan wanking off over City’s football (so much so that he could well post on here, given the amount of fawning we’ve seen from some United posters about City on here of late) then, albeit briefly, goes on to criticise the UAE and the conditions migrant workers face, then he veers totally off topic to rant about Brexit and UK politics.

His general point is about the conversations people are willing to have in public and private. Says privately Labour politicians will gripe about Corbyn but never in public because it may hurt them personally with the voters or party higher ups. Likewise (ish) the football world is unwilling to piss on City's chips on Match of the Day, it's a conversation best left untouched, or something. Agree it's tenuous and unecessary for him to draw the analogy, he could have just exposed the source of City's wealth more.

 

[M18CTID]

His general point is about the conversations people are willing to have in public and private. Says privately Labour politicians will gripe about Corbyn but never in public because it may hurt them personally with the voters or party higher ups. Likewise (ish) the football world is unwilling to piss on City's chips on Match of the Day, it's a conversation best left untouched, or something. Agree it's tenuous and unecessary for him to draw the analogy, he could have just exposed the source of City's wealth more.

Off field matters will never get discussed on MOTD though - it’s more for the Panoramas of this world.
Yeah, the article is all over the place and misses it’s target. He does a better job waxing lyrical about City’s football than criticising the owners. I could’ve written a more critical piece and I’m a City fan ffs!

 

[Law's Law]

Even this bizzarre article referenced other ones that explained some of the measures the Government have taken to tackle some of the previous challenges. People keep drawing their own conclusions without investing any time into studying issues themselves, nor look at the hundred of pieces written by foreigners who actually lived in the UAE.

The most important issue when it came to construction workers, was delayed salaries. Ironically, most of these issues related to the bigger projects, which where dominated by western contractors who either delayed salaries, or withheld payments to subcontractors.

However, this issue has been solved. If a company delayed salaries by more than a month, it’s account would be frozen and all transactions halted, while penalties are given depending on number of occurrence.

In every aspect of that cycle improvements have been made, and improvements should never be stopped, it’s a continous effort, while all these journalists are trying to convey is how bad these rulers are, by blowing everything out of proportion and making it look like all evil, without any reference to the great things that have been done in the last 40 years, making the UAE one of the fastest developing countries in history.

So instead of only reading biased on sided articles, I suggest more thorough research on the matter of the UAE and it’s rulers, accompanied by a visit to the UAE. I will also happily take care of your accommodation, logistics and guidance through your journey. But until then, have a read about the biography of its founder, Sheikh Zayed. Only after then, you can realize the UAE is not all about human right abuses, and more about tolerance, compassion, opportunity and dignified existence.

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

@Law's Law

Is that fake? or are these the same rulers whose doors are open to you personally two days a week?

(this thread is slightly better suited than the City thread for such discussion).

 

[Law's Law]

I only viewed less than a minute from that clip, realizing it’s about Issa, something I already referenced in this thread, as it was the main base of the article.

Let’s get this straight first, this is disgusting by all means, and anyone involved in such activity deserves nothing but the strictest of punishment.

How it was publicly managed is debatable, as it invloves a lot of politics, but believe me, that has been dealt with. Just try to find out when was he last seen or heard.

Despite that, I am willing to concede that incident. Even then, is it fair to keep bringing back that incident whenever there is a dicussion about Abu Dhabi? Is it fair to judge a few individuals by the actions of one of their brothers? If you are going to judge them by a relative, why not judge them by their father Sheikh Zayed, a visionary endorsed by the majority of the Arab world, and by many western and international nations?

The vast majority of the UAE population, expats included, are content with the leadership, and why the hell we wouldnt be?!!

What you think is the right way to live should only applicable to you, why should we be forced to accept that?

You would take a free speech democratic tax sucking government, I would take a monarchy, if it is not sucking my bank acount, while utilizing the resources to provide me safety, good standard of living, infrastructure, free healthcare and education.

Neither is wrong, different countries adapt differently, but why do we always go down the hate route?

 

[Random Task]

I only viewed less than a minute from that clip, realizing it’s about Issa, something I already referenced in this thread, as it was the main base of the article.

Let’s get this straight first, this is disgusting by all means, and anyone involved in such activity deserves nothing but the strictest of punishment.

How it was publicly managed is debatable, as it invloves a lot of politics, but believe me, that has been dealt with. Just try to find out when was he last seen or heard.

Despite that, I am willing to concede that incident. Even then, is it fair to keep bringing back that incident whenever there is a dicussion about Abu Dhabi? Is it fair to judge a few individuals by the actions of one of their brothers? If you are going to judge them by a relative, why not judge them by their father Sheikh Zayed, a visionary endorsed by the majority of the Arab world, and by many western and international nations?

The vast majority of the UAE population, expats included, are content with the leadership, and why the hell we wouldnt be?!!

What you think is the right way to live should only applicable to you, why should we be forced to accept that?

You would take a free speech democratic tax sucking government, I would take a monarchy, if it is not sucking my bank acount, while utilizing the resources to provide me safety, good standard of living, infrastructure, free healthcare and education.

Neither is wrong, different countries adapt differently, but why do we always go down the hate route?

Are you endorsing this method of punishment because it took place in the UAE?

I'm stunned at the length an individual will go to in order to protect the name of the owners of his favourite football club. Jesus wept.

 

[Law's Law]

Are you endorsing this method of punishment because it took place in the UAE?

I'm stunned at the length an individual will go to in order to protect the name of the owners of his favourite football club. Jesus wept.

I can not believe I am wasting part of my daily quota on this, but what?!

Where did I endorse this kind of punishment? I have been clear about what I think about that!

My English is not perfect, but I suggest you go back and try to understand what I said.

Protecting the name of the owners of my favourite football club?
Mate, I am trying to be a little bit more fair towards the rulers of the country I live in. You know, the people I think I know a little bit about. That to me is a little bit bigger than protecting some football owners.

 

[Random Task]

I can not believe I am wasting part of my daily quota on this, but what?!

Where did I endorse this kind of punishment? I have been clear about what I think about that!

My English is not perfect, but I suggest you go back and try to understand what I said.

Protecting the name of the owners of my favourite football club?
Mate, I am trying to be a little bit more fair towards the rulers of the country I live in. You know, the people I think I know a little bit about. That to me is a little bit bigger than protecting some football owners.

If you say you weren't endorsing such behaviour then fine. That's why I asked the question first rather than directly implying your motives.

Some of the paragraphs in your post appeared a little contradictory is all.

PS

That you are from the UAE explains a lot. Still your English far better than my Arabic!

Also what were your motivations behind supporting Man City?

 

[Law's Law]

Also what were your motivations behind supporting Man City?

Oh, I am your typical glory hunter.

Basically, I grew up watching Spanish and Italian football in the 90s, supporting Barca and AC Milan.
I dont remember whether that was because those were the leagues I was exposed to through local broadcasting, or because I was following my old man.

Anyway, I dont recall having any attachment to the PL, apart from the odd game here and there. I do remember that Newcastle season though. For a strange reason, I found myself rooting for them.

Fast forward, 2008, it was only logical to get interested in City, given the owner association. I was still living in the UK at the time, so after a few games, I got hooked.

I now know I am hooked for life, owners or not. I have been to too many home and away games and through too many memories to be detached. I am also a season ticket holder, catching around 7 to 10 games a season. You can imagine how tiresome it is, travelling from the UAE for games. I think that also contributed to the attachment.