Torture "based" Reality Show to debut in Dubai

“The show will have multinational appeal and will interest everyone, irrespective of nationality, age or gender,” said Anjum Fatima, one of the series’ creators.

My goodness. Reality TV "Dubai Style". Producers in Dubai are preparing the final stages of their new highly touted Reality TV show that "will pit individuals against each other in a competition that conveys the social nature of human beings." That's a unique way of saying , "we are going to torture these individuals with solitary confinement until they break."

Get a load of the details of the show courtesy Emirates Today,

“It’ll be a 24-hour continuous drama where six finalists will be locked in separate rooms with basic amenities.

As a test of their patience and their ability to survive without any social contact each will be required to live for as long as possible in their own cocoon and outlast the rest, ” said Fatima.

She said the test would prove difficult and interesting to watch, and added: “It’s a biological fact that human beings cannot survive in seclusion. Our need to interact with the rest of the world is not a matter of social choice, but a must for maintaining our sanity and day-to-day survival.

“Famous psychologists have established that human beings cannot survive for long when deprived of social contact, which makes this challenge more than just a matter of living on your own in a secluded room.” The series’s producers have already talked to three of the leading broadcast channels in the region and are planning to present the show in different languages.

and for the contestants...What do they get out of this?

A cash prize and a new car will be up for grabs for the winner

.....

the prize money is anybody’s guess, but we are expecting it to be something close to Dh100,000.” Prizes will also be given to the runner-up and third placed entrant, with smaller rewards going to the other finalists of the show.

The Bush Administration and Mukasey will surely enjoy this 'show'. Are you kidding me? Torture based reality programming? Next up..."Who can be waterboarded the longest?" "American Tortured Idol", "Wheel of Misfortune" ,"The Real Survivor". For an emirate that is attempting to crack down on it's "human rights abuses" this isn't a good display to the international community. Ridiculous! Torture based reality programming.

Same Players. Different Scandal.

Workers strike in Dubai. Will Dubai finally learn their lessen?

Life in Dubai is great...as long as you're not an underpaid foreign construction worker who live in "labor camps". On Saturday, the building boom came to a halt as thousands of foreign construction workers flooded the streets of Dubai over substandard pay and deplorable living conditions.

According to BBC,

Workers blocked roads and threw stones at police on Saturday, prompting a government threat to deport rioters.

A fall in value of the UAE dirham means workers are unable to send as much money home as they previously could. (The dirham is tied to the dollar. As the dollar falls so does the dirham)

Dubai's economy has boomed in recent years, fuelled largely by a construction industry reliant on low-paid workers, many from South Asia.
Analysts say it is time for the authorities to consider a minimum wage.

and from IHT,

The workers, however, have complained about long hours, no minimum wage, harsh living conditions and no legal forums in which to air their complaints about management.

Despite the illegality of strikes in the United Arab Emirates, the laborers refused to go to work over the weekend and protested in the labor camp of Dubai's Jebel Ali Industrial Zone and on a construction site in Al Qusais, a residential neighborhood.

They demanded pay increases, improved housing and better transportation services to construction sites. Some workers threw stones at riot police that heavily outnumbered the protesters on Saturday. Ali bin Abdullah al-Kaabi, the Emirates' minister of labor, described the workers' behavior to the state news agency WAM as "uncivilized."

Not only did Ali bin Abdullah al-Kaabi call the workers "uncivilized", but also has deemed them a "national security threat" to the UAE,

He said workers were tampering with national security and endangering residents' safety. He said workers could have registered their complaints peacefully, but instead "turned themselves into rioters."

Those who damaged public property would be deported, the labor minister said.

"The ministry will not vacillate in taking necessary measures to deport whatever numbers of workers found responsible for such acts," al-Kaabi said on Saturday.

What will the Al Maktoum Dynasty do for her "uncivilized, national security threats who they keep in "labor camps"? Will Dubai finally get her minimum wage? Dubai might be the land of free trade zones, no taxes and increased foreign investment, but life is still deplorable for those who fuel her rise. If they want to keep those cranes moving, the land of the "little Big Sheikhs" had better start taking care of their foreign workforce.

Related posts:
UAE: Art Mecca...Abu Dhabi Louvre? Dubai Guggenheim?
U.S. Military renames Persian Gulf to "Arabian Gulf"....it's all in the name
Can Banks disable your Car? In the Middle East They Can
Ever Heard of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum?
Dubai: Rising out of the 'fog' to claim her role in international commerce
The Dubai Tea Party: The Carlyle/Haliburton Show is Shifting into 'OVERDRIVE'

Same Players. Different Scandal.

Can Banks disable your Car? In the Middle East They Can

Imagine..you walk out to your car and it doesn't start. Perhaps the battery, the starter...hmmm. Nope it's your Bank..and they want their money.

Dubai based Sekurus International LLC and partner Sequr ME , has announced their SekurPay solutions are now available to banks throughout Saudi Arabia and Dubai. The highly controversial device allows lenders to disable your car if you become delinquent on your payments.

"In this fast-paced environment we often need a reminder to help us prioritise and pay our bills. The SekurPay™ solution will assist in developing good credit behaviour."
.....
Its partner Sequr ME is offering the SekurPay™ total solution to ensure timely collection of customer payments. The SekurPay™ payment Protection solution is used globally by lending institutions that provide automobile financing to individuals who have no credit history or sub-prime and/or are high credit risks.
....
Installed inside the vehicle, SekurPay™ is a device that tracks payments with or without telematics International the manufacturers and suppliers of the technology and prevents a vehicle from starting if a customer's scheduled payment is not made on time. "We are in the process of expanding our international distribution network as more and more financial institutions around the globe realise the bottom-line benefits of the SekurPay™ solutionas a credit enhancement tool," said Basel Al Salah, CEO of SekurusSekurPay™ range. Zawya
.....

from another article from Emirates Today...

“Around 10,000 cars are equipped with this device in the Middle East – in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. We have sold one million units all over the world. Manager Abdul Rasheed

How the absurd little device works...

The device – which is the size of a cigarette pack – is mounted under the steering column.The bank or car dealer gives the customer a six digit code, which he taps in using a keypad on the device.

A green light flashes to indicate that payments are up to date. But when an installment is due it changes to yellow.

Three days before the date on which the car is due to be disabled number three on the keypad flashes, and when two days are left number two blinks. One day before immobilisation is due, number one flashes and the unit beeps.

If the payment is not made the car will then cease to start.

A new code is provided every time a payment is made, enabling the customer to continue using the car until the next instalment becomes due.

If the device is removed illegally, an anti-tamper circuit disables the ignition.

Absolutely not! Where are we going?...if this is 'revolutionizing' the auto loan industry in the Middle East it won't be long until it's here. This concept is absolutely ludicrous. Privacy issues,civil liberties,'tracking'....endless problems. Worse the customer will probably end up paying for the silly device because the costs will be rolled into the total cost of the car...you'll probably even have to pay for the bank to monitor it, too. Ridiculous!

Same Players. Different Scandal.

Ever Heard of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum?

Ever heard of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum? Me neither, but I'm studying up on him quick. Why, you ask?..well that's because soon he will be our new business partner. Yup..yours and mine. Every time we make a trade on the Nasdaq, he gets PAID.

How is that possible? Well, anything is possible if you're the Prime Minister and VP of the United Arab Emirates, as well as, the ruler of the city state, Dubai. So when the honorable Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum wants something..he gets it. Be it the world's largest aluminum smelter, the fastest growing airline company, ports, hotels, premiere soccer teams, cheap slave labor...the Sheikh can have it all.

When Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum decided he wanted a part of the western financial markets...he set his strategic plan to get it. On August 6, 2007 he created Borse Dubai, a holding company which essentially consolidated the all Dubai 'exchanges' under one 'holding' company. Now remember...The Sheikh owns this 'holding company' it is his. It is a STATE OWNED company.

Shortly after its' birth it began a bitter battle with NASDAQ for months over OMX. OMX is a Swedish/Finnish financial services company with an amazing highly desired integrated 'back end technology' which consolidates other money market 'exchanges'. Formed in 2003, OMX has become a financial leader which makes gaining OMX paramount.

[OMX] in addition to owning and running exchanges in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Baltic states, provides technology to about 60 exchanges worldwide, including the Australian Securities Exchange, Nordic power market Nordpool and the Singapore Exchange. khaleejtimes

All that changed on Sept 20th when NASDAQ and Dubai announced they would partner up and attempt a highly controversial 'swap' trade. According to the NASDAQ Press release...

NASDAQ Increases Certainty of OMX Combination

Borse Dubai to become a 19.99 Per Cent Shareholder in NASDAQ;
Restricted to 5 Per Cent Voting Rights

Steps taken to allow DIFX to be rebranded with the NASDAQ Brand

NASDAQ to Become a Strategic Shareholder in DIFX

Borse Dubai Purchases a 28.0 Per Cent stake in LSE From NASDAQ
.....
Borse Dubai to become a 19.99% shareholder in NASDAQ (capped at
5 per cent voting rights)

NASDAQ will acquire all OMX shares to be purchased by Borse Dubai
in its offer for OMX

NASDAQ will become a strategic shareholder and the principal
commercial partner of Dubai International Financial Exchange
("DIFX")

DIFX will be re branded with the NASDAQ brand and licensed with market leading technology from the NASDAQ/OMX combination

Qatar, using the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) freaked upon hearing of the 'agreement' and went on a spending spree. They purchased roughly a 10% share of OMX and sent out a release to shareholders of OMX to 'take no action' on the NASDAQ/Dubai 'agreement'. Then QIA went ahead and purchased a 20% stake in the London Stock Exchange and on Friday, bought the remaining 5.3 million shares of NASDAQ owned shares in the LSE.

Qatar and Dubai are now the two biggest shareholders of the LSE, holding almost half of the world's third-largest stock exchange.reuters

Even more interesting...Qatar will not disclose who they received the money from to buy the LSE shares but, the Khaleej Times reported sources said Citigroup will be buying more shares of OMX to help out the QIA.

Obviously there is some type of economic shifting, right. Don't believe me..Consider this article from the UAE Interact.

Borse Dubai and Nasdaq are plotting to create a transcontinental trading platform that will include the London Stock Exchange (LSE)

These deals were billed as the beginning of global exchange platform bridging North America, Europe and the Middle East and the inclusion of the LSE in such a structure would be a stunning achievement.

The LSE has successfully resisted several hostile takeover attempts in the past three years, including two from Nasdaq as well as offers from the Deutsche Borse, Australia's Macquarie Bank and Euronext, while the latter subsequently merged with the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

It seems so apparent. The following week was just as dramatic. Congress did nothing. The SEC..nothing. Homeland Security..nothing, as well. Once again..Are you kidding me? Geez, Nancy Pelosi blew it off stating,"It doesn't raise alarm bells...This is a marketplace issue.".

This is not a marketplace issue. This is a 'Homeland' Security issue. Dubai Borse is nothing more than a front company for the city state of Dubai. It blows my mind...This is far more important than the DP World fiasco in 2005. Same players...this time all of our policymakers are SLEEPING. or they are complicit.

This shady 'arrangement' is contingent on Dubai purchasing a 50% stake of all shares in OMX before the deal can progress. Not so easy when the QIA is gobbling up as much as they can. As of Sept 27th, Nasdaq and Dubai have attained 47.6% stake

Does this deal seem appropriate? I don't believe so. Dubai OWNS a plethora of ports and other cargo operations around the world. If Homeland Security, our policymakers, the media..et all, were anything but a fraud they would be investigating this deal with urgency. The DP World fiasco in 2005 was the first attempt at giving Dubai access to America's 'national interests'...the Nasdaq/Dubai arrangement is far worse. Far more dubious. Far more dangerous.

Such alliances could become a way for corporations to get around some political sensitivities about outright takeovers of key national assets

This kind of exchange in the sense of swapping stakes, this reciprocal cross holding, is possibly a substitute for a straight merger because there would be political difficulties in a straight merger," said international securities expert John Coffee, a Columbia University Law School Professor.

We're increasingly going to find that these petrol dollars will migrate not to treasuries but to capital assets in the United States ... and investments in money managers like Carlyle. reuters

according the Sen. Schumer, ""At this early stage this deal gives me pause... While I am and have been a big proponent of foreign investment in the United States, we must still be careful of the kinds of investments made in our critical infrastructure, financial exchanges, utilities, and other areas that are vital to the operation and security of our country...the Dubai exchange "is majority owned and controlled by the government of Dubai, which has previously been cited as a nexus of terror financing, money laundering, and a potential crossroads for shipping and trading for Iran in their quest for nuclear materials and technology." freeinternetpress

Same Players. Different Scandal.

Dubai: Rising out of the 'fog' to claim her role in international commerce

Dubai's skyline rising out of the 'fog' as global money markets realign.

How does a 'holding company' become a global financial powerhouse in 2 months?

It's easy if you're the Prime Minister and VP of the United Arab Emirates, as well as, the ruler of Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum created Borse Dubai on August 6, 2007, which essentially consolidated the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and the Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX).

The Dubai Government announced today that it will consolidate its holdings in Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) into a new holding company, Borse Dubai.

[Dubai's] move is in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, and demonstrates its commitment to further position Dubai as the leading capital market in the region dubaisharetalk

So, I guess that means that Dubai's 'exchange' markets are effectively under the control of the ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, right?

Here is when it get interesting. Borse Dubai and NASDAQ immediately participated in a bidding war for a company named OMX. OMX is a Swedish/Finnish financial services company with an amazing highly desired integrated 'back end technology' which consolidates other money market 'exchanges'. Formed in 2003, OMX has become a financial leader which makes gaining OMX paramount.

[OMX] in addition to owning and running exchanges in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Baltic states, provides technology to about 60 exchanges worldwide, including the Australian Securities Exchange, Nordic power market Nordpool and the Singapore Exchange. khaleejtimes

How did the bidding war end up? Well...on Sept. 20th the craziest transactions occurred. Borse Dubai and NASDAQ became partners.

Here is the shady agreement in a nutshell.

Borse Dubai buys OMX..'gives' it to the NASDAQ in a complex trade scheme for a 20% stake in NASDAQ in New York and 28% of the NASDAQ owned stock in the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Along with gaining OMX, NASDAQ will become the principal strategic partner (33%) in the Dubai STATE OWNED DIFX. So in essence , Borse Dubai, within 2 months of its inception, gained a firm grasp of the western 'exchanges' and economically tied Dubai, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East together. Which has been their intent all along.

According to the NASDAQ press release

NASDAQ Increases Certainty of OMX Combination

Borse Dubai to become a 19.99 Per Cent Shareholder in NASDAQ;
Restricted to 5 Per Cent Voting Rights

Steps taken to allow DIFX to be rebranded with the NASDAQ Brand

NASDAQ to Become a Strategic Shareholder in DIFX

Borse Dubai Purchases a 28.0 Per Cent stake in LSE From NASDAQ
.....
Borse Dubai to become a 19.99% shareholder in NASDAQ (capped at
5 per cent voting rights)

NASDAQ will acquire all OMX shares to be purchased by Borse Dubai
in its offer for OMX

NASDAQ will become a strategic shareholder and the principal
commercial partner of Dubai International Financial Exchange
("DIFX")

DIFX will be re branded with the NASDAQ brand and licensed with market leading technology from the NASDAQ/OMX combination

Thursday, Sept. 20th, became much more complicated, though...Qatar, using the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) freaked upon hearing of the 'agreement' and went on a spending spree. They purchased roughly a 10% share of OMX and sent out a release to shareholders of OMX to 'take no action' on the NASDAQ/Dubai 'agreement'. Then QIA went ahead and purchased a 20% stake in the London Stock Exchange and on Friday, bought the remaining 5.3 million shares of NASDAQ owned shares in the LSE.

Qatar and Dubai are now the two biggest shareholders of the LSE, holding almost half of the world's third-largest stock exchange.reuters

Even more interesting...Qatar will not disclose who they received the money from to buy the LSE shares but, sources say Citigroup will be buying more shares of OMX to help out the QIA.

...sources familiar with the matter said Citigroup was seeking to buy shares in the market on behalf of the QIA.

Qatar said it had bought 20 percent stake of the London Stock Exchange through the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and urged OMX shareholders to take no action on the Dubai/Nasdaq offer. Sources familiar with the matter later said the QIA was buying OMX shares. khaleejtimes

Shady, right? It still gets worse.

On Thursday, the infamously shady Carlyle Group sold a 7.5 % stake in their own 'group' to another UAE emirate, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is basically the 'hub of US Naval forces' in for the Middle East and USAF has a 'huge' air base there. Later they announced they will purchase Canada's PrimeWest Energy Trust.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Co., the state-controlled power generator and oil producer, agreed to buy Canada's PrimeWest Energy Trust for about C$4 billion ($4 billion) in the biggest-ever North American takeover by a United Arab Emirates company.

PrimeWest assets include properties in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. The deal is unlikely to spark the furor caused by the planned purchase by Dubai World's DP World unit last year of six U.S. port terminals through its acquisition of London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co., said Eckart Woertz, chief economist at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai. bloomberg

It's all scandalous.

The obvious signs of subversion are taking place, yet there is no OUTRAGE. Our lawmakers, SEC, Homeland Security and the mainstream media are letting US down. The NASDAQ/Dubai deal is realigning our economies in a complex 'arrangement' that has given the Middle East leverage over western economies.

Homeland Security and the SEC are a joke. If they can't see this obvious subversion and crime they are useless. The DP World fiasco in 2005 was the first attempt at giving Dubai access to America's 'national interests'...the Nasdaq/Dubai arrangement is far worse. Far more dubious. Far more dangerous.

Such alliances could become a way for corporations to get around some political sensitivities about outright takeovers of key national assets

This kind of exchange in the sense of swapping stakes, this reciprocal cross holding, is possibly a substitute for a straight merger because there would be political difficulties in a straight merger," said international securities expert John Coffee, a Columbia University Law School Professor.

We're increasingly going to find that these petrol dollars will migrate not to treasuries but to capital assets in the United States ... and investments in money managers like Carlyle. reuters

according the Sen. Schumer, ""At this early stage this deal gives me pause... While I am and have been a big proponent of foreign investment in the United States, we must still be careful of the kinds of investments made in our critical infrastructure, financial exchanges, utilities, and other areas that are vital to the operation and security of our country...the Dubai exchange "is majority owned and controlled by the government of Dubai, which has previously been cited as a nexus of terror financing, money laundering, and a potential crossroads for shipping and trading for Iran in their quest for nuclear materials and technology." freeinternetpress

I'm sure we are all fine (sure), Although Bush won't speak of the deal in the U.S. he has stated..

US President George W. Bush said the authorities would probe security implications of the deal. "We have a reform process in place that will be able to deal with this issue," Bush said.uaeinteract

and the drama continues... Nancy Pelosi has weighed in on the issue demonstrating that she is a pathetic lawmaker who is in bed with the Bush administration. She has lost my support forever with her 'profound statement'...

"It doesn't raise alarm bells...This is a marketplace issue."

Take her down, Cindy...her 'table' is full of deceit. Deceit leads to war...

Relating news story to watch:
OMX signs IT outsourcing deal with Verizon

" Verizon will take charge of OMX's external network operations and data centre management from Oct. 1 "

Conference in New York to woo investors to Dubai
Fears of dollar collapse as Saudis take fright

Same Players. Different Scandal.

Selling the Stock Exchange: Dubai to buy large stake in Nasdaq

The infamously shady Dubai is attempting to purchase a 20 to 30 percent stake in both the New York and London stock exchanges. unbelievable.

Excerpts from the International Herald Tribune

If the deal is completed, Dubai would become the first Middle East government to own a large stake in an American stock exchange. It also is expected to become the largest single investor in Nasdaq.

The deal by the Borse Dubai would give Dubai a stake of 20 percent to 30 percent in Nasdaq, the largest electronic stock market in America, and about 30 percent in the London Stock Exchange, according to people who have been briefed.

....

Reports of a possible deal brought questions last night from lawmakers in Washington about potential compromises to security in the United States. The concerns were similar to those raised more than a year ago when another Dubai-owned company, DP World, tried to buy a company that managed port operations around the United States

.....

"Should any government own any part of a major U.S. stock exchange?" asked Schumer

....

Borse Dubai plans to acquire its stakes in the New York and London exchanges through an elaborate series of steps growing out of its success in outbidding Nasdaq for the OMX Group for about $4 billion.

In the deal that is expected to be announced Thursday, Borse Dubai will complete the purchase of the OMX Group and then hand it over to Nasdaq in exchange for at least a 19 percent share in the New York exchange and Nasdaq's stake of about 30 percent in the London Stock Exchange, which is valued at about $1.8 billion. Read more

Where is the SEC?

Same Players. Different Scandal