One of the great things about Dubai is it’s a really safe place to live. The crime rate is very low, I’ve never felt threatened and parents definitely have their children on a much looser rein than they would in the US, or Europe.

Touch wood, we’ve never had anything stolen, been burgled or mugged (except by the rip-off prices in the stores). What crime there is tends to be petty, like a housemaid stealing her Madam’s diamond earrings, or Cartier watch.

So imagine our surprise when we learnt there’d been an armed robbery just down the road! I was even there – and didn’t notice a thing!

It took place at the money exchange in Motor City, just before my car broke down in the car park. Two men wearing balaclavas (boy, they must have been sweating) and brandishing a pistol burst in and screamed at the petrified employees to stand aside.

In less than 30 seconds, they stole Dhs 1.6 million in cash, before speeding off with their loot in the direction of Abu Dhabi.

Sounds pretty slick, no? But robbers in Dubai, they’re just not professional – even ones who attempt an audacious daylight raid like this pair. They might even be described as a little vain – a slither too eager to boast about their spoils.

Otherwise how do you explain the fact that within about two hours of the heist a suspect had been arrested in a Dubai hotel room – with a celebratory photo on his camera, in which he’s smiling from ear-to-ear and waving wads of notes?

You can see the photo of the alleged thief with the stolen currencies here (I daren’t post it on the blog as I’m sure I learnt in media law that that jeopardises the case).

Talk about having the smug smile wiped off his face!