I think you're probably correct about that. Like most of the Middle East VIP aircraft they were just 'playthings' and status symbols and a lot of rivalry and one-upmanship between the various countries in the Middle East. If one got an airliner, suddenly they were all getting them. Then one got a larger, more-modern airliner and they were all 'trading up'
The one story about this was regarding the B747SP. One of the Emirates decided they wanted a brand new Boeing 747SP, the only problem [for Boeing] being that they had finished production of the model a number of years earlier and were concentrating at the time on their new model Boeing 747-400 series and wanted to sell them a Boeing 747-400. The particular Gulf state was insistent though and wanted not only a new Boeing 747SP but one with RR engines. Boeing thought they would 'persuade' the particular customer away from the 747SP that hadn't been built for a while and would disrupt their production line by quoting an extremely high price for the particular aircraft to be built, only to find the customer accepted the price and Boeing were left to build said aircraft. If you look on the unofficial Boeing 747SP website you will note this aircraft was was line number '676' over a hundred airframes after the previous Boeing 747SP had been built! The aircraft went on to Dee Howard to have a VIP interior and various other systems added at the cost of over $100 million just for the refit [at 1986 prices!!]
Thanks again. I did know about this in a recounted tale some years back, but no detailed info. Indeed another world, where near unlimited funds and egos and power allow the undoable to be done.
Whilst casually watching some 'heavy' fight against the winds on the way into LHR this morning, I suddenly wondered about Russian aircraft (Aeroflot or Rossiya etc) coming into LHR over the last year or so. I'm assuming that they have, so as to allow the supply of the Embassy/Consulate and diplomatic mail. I haven't seen, nor heard of any. Do any of the panel have info otherwise ?