n Dubai, the shopping malls and expat bars are as crowded as ever, but the economic outlook is not as sunny as the weather outside. Jobs figures are at their weakest for a decade, the low point of the financial crisis, as the city’s debts continue to bite. In Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, the reform plans of the “ambitious” crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, show signs of coming off the rails. The party is on — rapping, dancing, often without the veil, as rock music and dating are unbanned — unthinkable a decade ago. But there are few visible signs of the other leg of the prince’s reform package, a business revolution he promised in 2015 that would replace oil’s central role in the nation’s life. Continue reading