Toilet paper

This morning's Financial Times leads with 'Dollar fear sparks rush to oil and gold', the Wall Street Journal also goes with oil ('Oil Hits $100, Jolting Markets'). Emirates Business 247, the UAE's month old business newspaper (advertising slogan: 'Hungry For Dominance?') goes with 'Sheikh Mohammed the leader of change'.

This, according to Emirates Business, is a news story. Presumably this time last week Sheikh Mohammed wasn't a leader of change, but, perhaps thanks to some change of policy over the new year break, he now is. Whatever, Emirates Business' gushing 400 words don't tell us much – other than that tomorrow is the second anniversary of Sheikh Mohammed's ascension as the vice president, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai.

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More sex in the city

Women make up less than one per cent of executive boardroom membership of Dubai Financial Market-listed companies. Of the 371 boardroom members, just three are women. And none are based in the UAE.

There are many ways to read this Emirates Business survey, but 'less than one per cent' is 'less than one per cent' whichever way you slice it. In Norway, 36 per cent of boardroom members are women – and there is a government target of 40 per cent.

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Blessed be the firework makers

Some easy New Year's predictions: Dubai's fireworks suppliers will enjoy a bumper start to the year, those looking for a second-hand, barely-used Lexus will find a bargain, and February Fridays at Mall of the Emirates will be a living hell. Welcome to 2008. Welcome to Dubai Shopping Festival.

A DSF press release, helpfully reprinted by Gulf News, informs us weekend firework displays will last 20 minutes (2007's were a paltry three minutes), more than 90 Lexus and Nissan cars will be raffled (only to appear next day at 4x4 Motors), and visitors numbers will be up from 3.5million to nearly 4m.

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The personal touch

As Dubai involves itself in ever larger, and more diverse international deals, it is nice to be reminded that not every deal is based on hard cash and bottom lines. We're told Sri Lanka's decision to revoke the work permit of its national carrier's CEO – a guy out in place by Emirates – will have an "extremely negative" impact on talks with Emirates over the renewal the contract to run the airline.

Never underestimate the power of the personal relationship, particularly, according to the Financial Times, when as many as 70 percent of businesses, either private or listed, are family controlled. Forty per cent of the Fortune 500 companies still under family control.

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