In my opinion, there isn’t much basis for that whining in this case, given that Gofore has, after all, boasted about being the “pioneer of an ethical digital world.” That is exactly why the company’s actions have now been put under the spotlight.
The societal ethical concepts of the United Arab Emirates and Finland are, however, fundamentally in conflict. If a Finnish company brands itself as an ethical pioneer, it simply cannot ignore the fact that in the UAE, technology serves the administration, whereas in Finland, it primarily serves the individual, the citizen. The UAE is structurally and intentionally an unequal and state-centric society.
There would be nothing strange about this if you hadn’t specifically emphasized that ethics & responsibility. It is certainly not an easy situation and causes some discomfort, but you can’t really make a victim out of Gofore here.
And as you said, there are surely many Finnish companies operating in the United Arab Emirates, so if trade and making money are top of mind, then just submit the bid. Finland needs trade and tax revenue, and I’m sure workers can be found within the company for that project too, even if it’s understandably not to everyone’s taste.