“Ahmad Al Mutawa had it made. After graduating from the prestigious University of Southern California in 2005 he was recruited by Schlumberger, the multinational supplier to the energy industry, to work in its Middle East and Asia headquarters in Dubai. For a young man just out of college, it was a dream come true to walk straight into such a golden career opportunity and to find himself living in a high-rise tower with his own car and a great salary. All around him, the modern day empire of Dubai was emerging before his eyes: it seemed as if a new row of houses would pop up every week, a new tower every month, and whole cities within a year.”