A friend who just returned from Dubai revealed that the government of the United Arab Emirates is getting clever about internet censorship. Internet access in most of Dubai is restricted by a proxy server, which is a run by a private company called Etisalat. According to an Etisalat official:
"Etisalat is not authorised to decide what people should see," Hashim explained. "If callers complain, either to unblock or block a site, we refer them to the Ministry of Information. We have a formal process."
I am surprised that the government of the UAE believes internet censorship is compatible with a business climate hospitable to entrepreneurship. 
The avant-90's Dubai Internet City is one development plan bound to disappoint its creators and political supporters if the political environment does not liberalize.
