A few miles outside Dubai, a vast artificial port extends deep into the desert. Berths as wide as four football pitches and deep enough to house a US aircraft carrier are lined by gargantuan yellow cranes and millions of multi-coloured steel containers.
Ships from Panama, Mumbai, Nassau and London inch their way to their resting spot, where trucks and cranes stand ready to unload their cargo. In the distance, the few idle workers can make out the Palm Jumeirah and the rose-coloured Atlantis Hotel built by South African tycoon Sol Kertzner.
