Eye on Dubai Dubai has seen phenomenal growth in the diamond business in recent years, mostly due to its free-trade zone and hands-off government, which is determined to increase its influence over the industry. A recent controversy, however, is threatening to taint the city’s image. In June, Antwerp World Diamond Centre, the Belgian industry group and Dubai rival, announced that local authorities had seized a parcel of diamonds from the Central African Republic, currently in the midst of a civil war. The Kimberley Process has banned gems from CAR since May 2013. Antwerp authorities said the shipment came from a trader known to deal in CAR diamonds; held the same amount of goods as seen in past, legal exports; and matched a “digital footprint” of goods from that country. While the AWDC did not name Dubai in its statement, it pointedly criticized other centers for having “i