It's very flashy and they're kind of obsessed with being the biggest / best / most of any given thing in the world. The only freedom i saw was financial freedom. It feels very open and western on the surface but it's a theocratic absolute monarchy that keeps the vast majority of the population on precarious work visas. Generally I got the vibe that they were very interested in social status, privilege of the elite, and maintaining a strictly hierarchical society.

I heard a story about somebody's friend who'd been pissed off about traffic on some busy road so she said out loud, in public, 'Fuck Sheikh Zayed' referring to the Sheikh Zayed Road which has traffic problems. Somebody heard it, reported it, and she was questioned by the police for illegal and subversive speech.

Needless to say it didn't feel like a very open or freedom loving place.