The one detail I found most interesting is the historical point:
"The executives I met all showed pictures of their youth, reminding me that just a few decades ago, their country was nothing more than sand, tents, and simple stone."
The idea the "capitalism/democracy/natural resources" is what make the USA a world power is a limited analysis. There are huge cultural and social forces that can not just be bought. He suggested 'human capital' would have been the best investment, but it is only princes that are provided with advanced education and it's likely only a few of those are interested in slogging through the trenches of starting a real business. Educate non-royal-family citizens and you will be financing some type of revolution, not something the Dubai power structure would ever allow I suspect.