The other Dubai Deal

As illustrated in the article, Dubai firm has landed a huge contract with the U.S navy. The contract with the Navy is to provide shore services for vessels in the Middle East. The firm, Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), is an old British company that last January was sold to a Dubai government investment vehicle for $285 million.


The main issue in this article is that such non market activity might affect the national security of the United States. Since the husbanding contract provides the potential for mischief. Husbanding agents arrange everything from fuel to spare parts to fresh vegetables for vessels at ports of call. More critically, they often provide security, like erecting concrete barriers and what the military calls "force protection.” So the U.S navy is keeping closely guarded since it could be invaluable in the hands of terrorists.


Interests: in this article, the interests who have a stake in this issue are the U.S government that thinks that they are in danger of being attacked by extremist Muslim groups who started to control different businesses in the Unites States. Also, Dubai government which is very wealthy and need good investment opportunities where they can invest their cash in. Moreover, the firm, Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) which is an old British company that provides services to clients ranging from cruise ship operators to oil tankers to commercial cargo vessels.


Institutions: Institutions are arenas where competing interests contest issues. For example, Time Magazine is the only media outlet reporting on this latest Dubai deal. They were criticising the Unites States government whether they should or should not allow to be owned or controlled by foreign governments. Although that U.S government thinks that Arab countries are terrorists, but still many businesses are taking place between the United States and Arab countries.


Information: the information that all the interests and the institutions know about the issue. In this case, although the U.S government is worried about their national security, but for a fact, they know that such these businesses that are controlled by Dubai will be done effectively. In addition, they all know that Dubai is trustworthy as many businesses that went successfully were controlled by them. Also, according to a statement issued by the firm declared that "ISS has undergone rigorous external security checks" and has "comprehensive internal policies on security." So the U.S government should not be concerned about their national security.


In my opinion, Dubai nowadays is one of the leading countries that can control different businesses effectively. So other countries like United States should give them the opportunity to incorporate with them without getting worried about their national security.