Dubai ruler sacks minions for no-show during 'surprise' visit

It was supposed to be surprise visit to Dubai municipal offices to check in on hard-working senior officials from the UAE's civil service.

Instead what greeted Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Dubai's ruler, were empty desks and silence. 

The answer for such tardiness? Maktoum decided to sack everyone.

A video shared on Twitter by the Dubai municipality shows a bemused crown prince visiting the offices on Sunday, resorting to leafing through a book as he awaits his audience - which never arrives.

The next day, nine senior officials were forcibly "retired" by the ruler.

Those sacked include the legal counsel and executive director of legal affairs, its deputy director general and six assistant directors.

"He certainly wanted to send a message," said Mona al-Marri, director general of the Dubai Media Office.

"Timeliness starts at the top and we won’t go after the employees when their bosses aren’t there."

However, according to the media office the move also reflected a desire on the part of the ruler to "give way to a new generation of young leaders capable of bearing responsibility for the next phase of development".

In mitigation for the workers, Maktoum's visit was at 7.30am on a Sunday morning, the first day of the working week in Dubai.