Dubai boasts the region?s most liberal economic and business policies, and the cosmopolitan atmosphere yields the most socially liberal environment in the Middle East. But, rather surprisingly, despite its blatant western, liberal orientation in business, culture, society, and even language (English is the lingua franca), the Emirate has avoided being targeted by terrorist plots and has stayed below the radar of Islamists? rhetoric, barely ever garnering a mention in their publications, fatwa, and Internet sites. Far more conservative Kuwait is much more often the target of Islamists websites and rhetoric, followed by traditional targets like Saudi Arabia , Egypt , Jordan , and Morocco . The main reason for this has been the Emirate?s policy of political non-alignment. It has trod a careful line since its inception, nominally supporting pan-Arab causes but resisting involvement. For instance, the state does not recognize Israel , but it does not do anything active to aid the Intifada or support violence publicly, yet the late Sheikh Zayed?s generous donations for Palestinian humanitarian projects, like schools and hospitals, earned him wide respect in the region. Similarly, the United Arab Emirates did not support the Iraq war, yet since the occupation, it has supported the opening of commerce in Iraq and in June will host a large international symposium. For years, Dubai, led by the national capital in Abu Dhabi, has been careful to cultivate its image as ?the Singapore of the Middle East? and has carefully tiptoed around international politics.

However, Dubai is still potentially a security-trouble spot, because of its location in a troubled region and the nature of the town itself. Demographically, Dubai is not really an Emirati city–native Emiratis are a minority–but instead is an ethnic mosaic consisting of 150 different nationalities, with most of its larger communities hailing from numerous other Muslim countries. Because of intra-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreements, it is relatively easy for citizens from fellow Gulf nations to travel to the UAE under any pretenses. Further, Dubai is a very transient city; people do not really settle there but travel in and out for business or stay for a couple years, making it difficult to identify and keep track of suspicious individuals and activities. Lastly, Dubai and the national government in Abu Dhabi keep a tight lid on any security problems that do arise in the interest of the business atmosphere and to protect the city?s image as a peaceful, modern, liberal oasis in a larger region, which has a reputation for the opposite.

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