The Dubai Municipality (aka Government) was giving out actual gold nuggets as an incentive for the population to lose weight when I was there.
As said before this was during Ramadan when Islamic law dictates believers are required to do nothing all day (no eating, drinking, working etc). Consequently when the sun sets each day and the human body is generally at its most sluggish, there were people literally gorging themselves on food and drink in public.
This goes on for 30 days during June and July - the hottest part of the year in that region (45 degrees plus each day).
