Of course, you can see why they're hardening their stance on Israeli visas, but in the long term it's going to do the UAE more damage than it will do to Israel.

Any global organization will want guarantees that sporting championships will be apolitical before deciding on future venues. By not allowing Israeli tennis players to compete in the Dubai Open, they are virtually guaranteeing they won't get the Olympics or World Championships any time soon.

Dubai wants to be a world centre for sports, but this is a kick in the teeth for those aspirations.