People go there because there's money to be made and business to be had. If you work in the energy industry or finance (among many others obviously) there's a good chance that at some point in your career you'll be spending time in places like Dubai, Doha or Abu Dabi. And obviously the Arabs want this to be so, since they recognize the need for global partnerships and diversification of their economies. And that's where the problem comes in: In Canada for example, you could be prescribed cannabis as a legitimate form of medication for insomnia, anxiety, migraines, etc. But then you end up in a place like Dubai because your employer needs you to go there, and all of a sudden that prescription is grounds for a 2 year jail term. If these countries are truly committed to moving forward (and they should be, the oil is going to run out eventually and/or alternative energy sources will take its place), they need to recognize that they can't prosecute expats for something like violating their own draconian laws. I'm not advocating that we should be able to go to the ME and literally expect to get away with murder, but a completely legal drug prescription, or even recreational drug use that wouldn't even get you a fine here, shouldn't carry the risks of imprisonment.
