Hey galactica
I think that list of things says a lot about their need for acceptance on the international stage. They are turning Dubai into some kind of crass caricature. (And a lot of locals I have spoken to aren't overly happy about it). However, it is amazing what you can do when oil is maintaining well above the OPEC recommended price of $25 a barrel. And they still have a lot of it left.
typhoon
I think you will find they ended up commissioning 4 EIS's for the first Palm. The first 3 all canned it as a very bad idea, but then, I guess what you say must have been true for the fourth one.