Sheikh Makhtoum Dies

He was the ruler of Dubai, so this is a big deal.

Sheikh Makhtoum Bin Rashid Al Makhtoum was the older brother of Sheikh Mohammed, who is the driving force behind Dubai's economic development. We are expecting Sheikh Mohammed, who was crown prince, to be named ruler of Dubai soon.

First there was an immediate three days of mourning. This meant all malls and cinemas wer closed, banks shut for most of the week and everyone took time off. Then the Shopping Festival was cancelled, including the ambitious fireworks displays that were going to light up the night in seven different places during the opening evening. Pragmatic as ever, shops are still allowed to hold their sales, just not under the DSF banner.