Dubai bedazzles Bush

Accompanied by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Bush visited major landmarks in the city - the late Shaikh Saeed Al Maktoum House at Shindagha, the Shaikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Al Bastakiya and the Burj Al Arab.

The unusually bustling emirate was paralysed after authorities declared a public holiday and closed major roads and bridges in a sweeping and unprecedented security operation.

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Bush, who arrived in Dubai from Abu Dhabi, later yesterday reached Saudi Arabia as part of a Gulf tour aimed at rallying support against Iran.

While in Dubai, he got a flavor of the cosmopolitan banking and business hub, whose glass skyscrapers and booming construction have turned it into the capital of Middle East bustle.

On a day of cultural diplomacy, Bush grinned and tapped his foot as a group of girls stepped rhythmically to Arabic music at the historic home of former ruler of Dubai - now a museum loaded with photos and artefacts of the emirate's history.

Bush then had lunch with students of the Dubai School of Government, a research and teaching institution that focuses on public policy in the Arab world. Bush and his hosts sat on cushions, their food in bowls on the carpeted floor before them.

He met and interacted with a number of young Arab leaders who briefed him about their activities at the regional and international levels with the aim of building and strengthening bridges of cultural understanding between Arab youths and their counterparts worldwide.

President Bush praised Shaikh Mohammed for his vision of opening a channel of interaction between promising Arab generations and their counterparts worldwide.

“I'm most impressed with what I've seen here. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong, and equally importantly, the desire to make sure all aspects of society have hope and encouragement,” Bush later told the gathering of entrepreneurs and others affiliated with the young leaders' group.

The session was held in a conference room at the Burj Al Arab hotel.

“I also want you to understand something about America - that we respect you, we respect your religion and we want to work together for the sake of freedom and peace,” Bush told the group.

(With inputs from agencies)