Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

(Cleveland, Ohio) Earlier this month, a high-ranking leader from the United Arab Emirates arrived for medical tests at the Cleveland Clinic. Police escorted the leader in a limousine to the clinic for an appointment and afterward back to the airport for a same-day flight home.

Special treatment? Definitely. And indicative of a closeness consistent with the announcement that the UAE has agreed to a Cleveland Clinic franchise in Abu Dhabi.

From Cleveland.com:

Under terms of a 15-year deal with Mubadala Development, a government-owned agency, the Clinic will establish, develop and operate a hospital in Abu Dhabi, the nation's capital. It will be called Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

"This is an opportunity for us to have a long-term relationship and build a facility where we can transfer our culture, not just our technology," Clinic chief Dr. Toby Cosgrove said. "They want to use our model of health care."

Good luck on the 'transferring culture' idea. So far, the Muslims haven't been all that tolerant of other cultures.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is tentatively scheduled to open in three years.