Introduction
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most thriving and growing countries in the Middle East, has transformed from a little-known desert nation in the Arab Peninsular to an iconic state among those in the region. At the center of this nation’s growth and development is a respect for cultural diversity, which Zhang (2016) defines as “a system of beliefs and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society” (p. 244).
The country’s cultural diversity has served to strengthen the UAE’s social fabric, allowing that nation to generate significant progress in different aspects of its social and economic spheres of development. This view is in line with Rabah’s (2016) emphasis on the importance of respecting cultural diversity in the process of nation-building because the concept is useful in solving conflicts and developing solutions that are beneficial to the majority of people. This paper highlights the progress that the UAE has made and the challenges encountered in integrating people from diverse cultural backgrounds into a collective whole.
Diversity in the UAE
The UAE is home to a culturally diverse society. The high numbers representing the country’s expatriate population are evidence of this fact (Al Mazrouei& Pech, 2015). Native-born citizens comprise only 11% of the country’s population (Brownie, Hunter, Aqtash, & Day, 2015). The majority of the UAE’s residents hail from India (34%), while people from other Arab states make up about 18% of the country’s population (Jayanthi, 2016). In terms of ethnicity, Emiratis, South Asians, Egyptians, Filipinos, and “others” account for 11%, 59%, 10%, 6%, and 12% of the total population, respectively (Jayanthi, 2016).
The UAE’s cultural diversity is also evident in the form of official tolerance for other religions. In other words, the country’s government allows people the freedom to worship. The UAE’s model for improving religious variety, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and cultural diversity is the Tolerance Campaign, encouraging UAE citizens to accommodate other people’s religious, ethnic, and cultural differences and to streamline corporate and public policy actions to advance this goal. Official support is evident in the fact that a ministry is tasked with this job.
Resistance to Diversity
Although the UAE is largely a diverse nation, existing stereotypes and prejudices among a segment of the population are undermining attempts to create a tolerant society. Stereotypes held by a portion of UAE residents may lead them to view others in a limiting way, reinforcing perceptions that have prevented some from integrating with others in the society. For example, a certain number of citizens prefer to interact with people from the same cultural groups (Al Mazrouei& Pech, 2015; Rabah, 2016).
The lack of integration in a section of the UAE population feels unwelcoming to people from diverse cultural backgrounds, but Esia and Skok (2014) attribute this phenomenon to the “fear of the unknown” that causes some residents to interact only with people who are similar or who share the same beliefs. Such fears are often grounded in unfamiliarity with others’ cultures. Thus, while the lack of integration stems from existing stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination among some UAE citizens, increasing levels of integration in UAE society are continuing to address such beliefs.
Conclusion
This paper shows that the UAE is largely a diverse country, evidenced by the high number of expatriates who live in the country. However, pockets of UAE society remain intolerant to diversity. To address this problem, both the government and social groups have displayed a renewed commitment to encourage diversity as one of the country’s key pillars undergirding growth. Broadly, these efforts are expected to improve the country’s profile as one of the most ethnically vibrant states in the Middle East.
References
Al Mazrouei, H., & Pech, R. (2015). Working in the UAE: Expatriate management experiences. International Journal of Business Tourism and Applied Sciences, 3(1),19-28.
Brownie, S. M., Hunter, L. H., Aqtash, S., & Day, G. E. (2015). Establishing policy foundations and regulatory systems to enhance nursing practice in the United Arab Emirates. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 16(2), 38-50.
Esia, Z. A., &Skok, W. (2014). Arab knowledge sharing in a multicultural workforce: A dual case study in the UAE. Arab Journal of Business Management, 5(1), 1-10.
Jayanthi, M. (2016). Impact of multiculturalism on Indian nationalities in Dubai-UAE. Web.
Rabah, I. (2016). Critical literature analysis of leadership and cross-cultural management: A glance on the UAE higher education context. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 6(1), 137-144.
Zhang, N. (2016). Rentz’s student affairs practice in higher education (5th ed.). New York, NY: Charles C Thomas Publisher.