that the United Arab Emirates announced Wednesday that all salaries of the military, including retirement salaries, will be raised by a whopping 70%. The reports say the motive is to avoid the wave of uprisings that are sweeping the region, uprisings that have reached wealthy Gulf petroleum producers who had thought they were immune from political disturbances. Authorities also said they will hold an election for the “Advisory Council” in September (it is just that, a toothless advisory council, a window dressing). In the last election 0m 2006 only 6,600 votes were cast, less than 1% of the population of the country. The main reason is that up to about 85% of the population of the UAE are estimated to be temporary foreigners: laborers, housemaids, and others that make the place work. Unemployment among citizens was officially put at 13% early this year.
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mhg
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