Is it possible that UAE culture is being swamped by expat influences?
Or is the issue simply globalisation?
Expats and nationals alike are asking the question about how to deal with UAE culture.
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081004/NATIONAL/90715377/1010
'Consumerism and foreigners' greatest identity threats
Anthony Richardson and Jen Gerson
- Last Updated: October 04. 2008 11:56PM UAE / October 4. 2008 7:56PM GMT
Signs of the UAE's changing times at Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi. Andrew Parsons / The National
Residents of the
UAE say the burgeoning expatriate population and consumerism are the greatest threats to national identity, according to a study published today.
In the survey, conducted by the market-research company
YouGov Siraj, 60 per cent of
Emiratis questioned said they felt a sense of isolation as their cultural identity became increasingly diluted by large numbers of expatriates. In contrast, 71 per cent of the western expatriates surveyed said that the biggest threat to
Emirati culture and
identity was the country’s “highly materialistic and consumerist society”.
Despite those sentiments, 81 per cent of the 628 respondents –
Emirati and expatriate – said they belonged in the
UAE. More than half said the country’s safety record was the main attraction.
Most of those surveyed agreed that a sense of national identity could be developed by creating a “consolidated vision across the emirates that all citizens and residents can relate to equally” and by communicating traditional values.
High rents, traffic and inflation emerged as the three main problems residents have. Traffic was considered the biggest problem in
Sharjah, where 56 per cent of those surveyed said it reduced the quality of their lives.
The survey found that nationals were the most likely group to say the
UAE is a good place to raise a family. A fifth of all Asians questioned cited discrimination as a key complaint.
Most Western and Asian expatriates said their inability to speak Arabic had not been an obstacle to their career aspirations.
The survey will be featured this evening on Emirates Tonight, on the Arabic-language Emirates Channel.
