> But to the people in power, only symbols and power are important.

A general statement that is universal across time and geography. Nothing special about the gulf

I think they do all that. They have plenty of universities, also their other oil rich neighbours are pouring money into British and American educational institutions to open campuses there. IIRC some Ivy league universities from the Western world have campuses in the region.

That's true but neither the students nor the instructors at those institutes are local.

I can think of one exception, a pretty famous Emirati physicist who has made a big name for himself