come on look at the facts clunk, if the UAE government is the sinister totalitarian government you describe, complete with the old big brother boogeyman, then why does Canada - and yes this includes you, a proud Canadian no doubt - have a military base there?, (of course what's more ironic is that you share it along side those ever ready defenders of freedom and justice for all. the good ol USA.) I think it's you that needs a more careful read of history. If anything this country is a Frankenstein of the west's creation. Your admonishments of its society are just because its approach to dealing with issues of security and dissent, and doing business is too honest for your sheltered moral superiority to stomach. Maybe RIM's problem has nothing to do with Emirates business aspirations in Canada, but had Canada's Harper government not adopted the arrogant protectionist business stance driven by the elitist Air Canada cronies at Transport Canada, it might have had some leverage to talk to the UAE government about why it's about to wipe out the business aspirations of an important Canadian company in this region.