Deliverance in the Gulf

While the high-rises, gargantuan malls, five-, six- and seven-star hotels, and abundant glitz and glamour are all telling of Dubai’s place as the center of global aviation, much less known are the caravans of cargo that crisscross the globe from Dubai and other hubs in the Gulf Cooperation Council.   But at a time when the global economy and the big economic blocs are set to enter a tough year — according to the latest host of predictions by the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Central Bank — Gulf countries are investing with fervor in their transportation and logistics networks.  They are intent on using their advantageous spot on the world map to consolidate their economies. Although the recognition for being the Arabian Gulf’s first “transportation hub” would go to the Sultanate of Oman, which as an explorer nation extended its rule