Posted on 02/23/2006 11:59:54 AM PST by bigbear82
Has Dubai Port World, the company that was given management responsibilities of several U.S. ports, had any contracts with Bin Laden Construction Company in the past? Do they have contracts with them now? If Dubai Port World itself does not have contracts with the company, its owners might.
In order for a foreigner to start a business in the Emirates, he/she must get a citizen of the UAE to sponsor it - in other words to basically own it. Dubai Port World is actually owned by citizens, but it is run by foreigners. Many UAE citizens own multiple businesses without actually having to run them. It is very likley that some of the owners have had business dealings with Bin Laden Construction at one time or another.
These are serious questions that Congress should look into.
Bin Laden Construction is a major player when it comes to construction in the Middle East. Over the years, it has had billions of dollars worth of contracts with a variety of projects, and it has built many of the buildings in the Emirates.
The late Mohammed Awad bin Laden was the founder of the company, and he became the patriarch of the bin Laden family. His most infamous son is Usama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda. The company is still run by the bin Laden family.
Interesting site.
Got a link to the article? I don't see it there.
"Bin Laden Construction is a major player when it comes to construction in the Middle East. Over the years, it has had billions of dollars worth of contracts with a variety of projects, and it has built many of the buildings in the Emirates. "
Can't wait for the RATS to claim thay Bin Laden Construction is the Halliburton of the Middle East.
Also, look in the lobbying habits of Bob Dole too.
The drum beat has been that the Government of the UAE owns and operates DPW. Has this another knee jerk fallacy about the deal?
Welcome To FR.
ibtz?
"probably" is the correct spelling. :)
RU?
ibtz!!
Yeah, and the next step is to have Bin Laden Construction registered in the U.S. and they will be making bids on high rise construction in New York City.
And everybody will be OK about it.
Makes me totally sick.
I believe this has been reported by some of the news media. "Foreigners" could mean Brits, French, Dutch, Indians, etc, etc.... By requiring foreigners who want to start a business in the UAE, UAE nationals can reap the benefits of owning a business while not actually having to run it. DPW, however, was started by the sheiks, but they allow foreigners to actually manage the business.
The UAE is like a giant corporation itself. There is no real "patriotism" in the country (80% of the population are expatriates). When I lived there, it was commonly accepted that the national anthem was "Dream of Rain" by Sting. The sheiks who rule the country are pretty much like CEOs. There is a sort of caste system. UAE nationals and Arabs are on top, and Europeans and Americans are second, Indians and Filipinos are third, and Africans are dead last. Many times, pay is distributed based on race, ethnicity, and nationality.
It is likely that the US ports are being run by Americans and Brits, but the UAE simply owns the company that pays them. I don't know how often UAE nationals actually review the management of the ports firsthand.
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