As someone who has lived in U.A.E I could probably lend some perspective.
U.A.E for a long time has been diversifying its revenue sources and preparing for life beyond oil. UAE by the way is a federation of 7 emirates of which Dubai and Abu Dhabi are 2 emirates. Abu Dhabi has the most oil and therefore is the richest and infact bailed Dubai out recently. Interesting tidbit , Emirates belongs to Dubai while Etihad belongs to Abu Dhabi. Both have invested millions into infrastructure,properties,assets etc. to create UAE as a tourist destination and global hub for business. All of this largely banks on good PR worldwide which is where strategic investments such as MCFC , Real Madrid investment etc. come in. Creating goodwill regarding U.A.E is as important as actually building a paradise to attract. Qatar has recently adopted a similar blueprint ( hence PSG, Carnegie Mellon extension unis etc. ) . People tend to have a reserved opinion over middle east countries because the goverments are still benevolent dictatorships and human rights/freedom of speech usually borders on the gray. You're fine until you say something that might harm the reputation of the leaders or city. One need not look furthur than Qatar construction worker's human rights issue which is prevalent across Gulf. Do you really believe that upliftment of Manchester is priority #1 for anyone ? Emirates/Etihad sponsor cricket,football,horse racing etc. The idea behind is to ensure a positive sentiment and outlook towards Dubai/Abu Dhabi. Investing/Supporting Real Madrid is pure business for it is a top 2 club in the world and outreach potential is massive. They are playing a far bigger high stakes game in which MCFC is just a strategic asset.
