Blu,
I could easily understand start level to be platform altitude?? Why shout??
Having checked charts, the platform altitudes for all RNAV approaches into Dubai are 2000'. If he doesn't clear you to that altitude, how could you start the approach? Even Heathrow does it that way! CDA's are preferable we all agree on that... But I imagine if you ask nicely to start the procedure from so many thousand feet there would be little resistance...