You can tell how big Dubai has become by the length of time it takes to pass through the airport. It is not baggage delays or security checks that hold you up, but the sheer number of people visiting the place, and the size of the airport complex needed to deal with them.

And it is still growing. Ask JW “Bill” Marriott, 73 year-old godfather of the hotel industry, who was in the emirate last month doing deals for yet more Marriott brands in the Middle East.