I think "lack of culture" is a good reason to criticize if Dubai is advertising itself as "having" culture.

They are criticized for posing and hypocrisy, which to me it seems, is universally considered a universal negative trait.

Is Laos paying large PR firms and selling itself as "having culture"? Is Vietnam? Are they fooling anyone? Not really. Dubai has been selling itself as something it is not and underneath it is pretty much and empty shell, and I think that is what was being pointed out.