January 15, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 05, 1429

DUBAI, Jan 14: The usually bustling Gulf emirate of Dubai ground to a halt on Monday as blanket security measures were imposed for US President George Bush's visit, the first by an American head of state.

Renowned for its normally frantic pace of life, the booming city-state could hardly have presented a more stark contrast as Bush arrived as part of his regional tour.

The government of the emirate announced that Monday will be a holiday in Dubai, a member of the United Arab Emirates, due to the planned closure of a number of major bridges, tunnels and main roads.

A brief announcement on the state WAM news agency did not refer to Bush's visit, but said it had been decided that the day would be a holiday in both the public and private sectors.

Work appeared to have shut down on the myriad construction projects underway in the emirate, which includes the world's tallest skyscraper and a world-shaped cluster of man-made islands.

Dubai has experienced a huge boom in its economy in recent years fuelled to a large degree by the growth of the construction sector.

An estimated 700,000 Asians, predominantly from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, are employed as construction workers in the United Arab Emirates, where less than 20 per cent of the four million population are UAE citizens.

As cranes and heavy digging vehicles sat idle at the base of a tower being built near a marina packed with expensive boats. one site managers said that more than 1,000 labourers would usually have been toiling away on building the 107-floor tower.

“I am very surprised this has happened,” the Indian manager, who declined to be named, said as a light rain fell around him, a rare event in the desert emirate.

Nearby, 56-year-old Australian Bob Andrews said that he was enjoying his regular morning exercise a little more than usual.

“This is the first time I have seen anything like this. It's a good day for a walk,” he said as he surveyed the empty streets around him that would usually be full of rush hour traffic.

Several helicopters could be seen overhead while small groups of armed police manned key intersections.

Bush arrived in Dubai from the UAE capital Abu Dhabi as part of a week-long Middle East tour that began in Israel and the West Bank. He has also visited Kuwait and Bahrain, and is due to travel on to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Another western expatriate, who works in the media and declined to be named, questioned whether the blanket closure of the city was necessary.

“This is the first time a US president has come here, so they have to take precautions,” he said. “It seems strange to decide to shut everything down at the last minute.

“I've had to cancel two meetings today because they're on the other side of the city and it would take me hours to reach them because of the road closures,” he added.

Some brave individuals had apparently decided to drive, despite the government statement urging residents to steer clear of main roads to avoid inconvenience.

One group of few confused-looking motorists could be seen stopped in the middle of a major street, apparently asking one another for the best route to get around the no-go areas.—AFP