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Foreign influences: Expats force locals to ask who they are
By Nada El Sawy

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is unique in that expatriates constitute more than 80 per cent of
the population. As the country continues to grow and accept foreigners at an astounding pace,
Emiratis worry that their national identity and culture are at stake. The issue has become so
pressing that President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan declared 2008 UAE national identity
year. ‘People here have the feeling that we are losing our own country if this double-digit
[expatriate percentage of population] growth continues and if the government does not address the
problem and address it squarely and urgently’, says Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of political
science at United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain.
Issues such as the demographic imbalance, the disappearance of the Arabic language, competition
over jobs, lagging education and a lack of sensitivity towards Emirati cultural and religious values,
have been discussed in the past, but are now taking center stage.
Last month, a two-day forum on national identity took place in Abu Dhabi to debate such issues
openly for the first time. The conference, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and
Community Development, featured more than 30 high-level government and private-sector
speakers. Participants spoke their minds. Ahmad al-Tayer, chairman of the National Human
Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), said: ‘Today, an Emirati student is
being taught Islamic studies in English by a Pakistani. This is the state of our nation.’
Meanwhile, Dubai’s police chief, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, warned that there
would be serious security issues if demographic balance was not restored. He advocated reducing
foreign workers from any single country to a maximum 25 per cent of the population, according
to press reports. He also suggested that property ownership be opened mostly to Emiratis and
Arabs, and that increased childbearing should be a national strategy.
The UAE is a young country, created in 1971, but it attracted foreigners early on due to its strategic
trade location and with the discovery of oil. During the period 1975 to 2004, the population of
nationals increased 4.5 times while the expatriate population increased almost tenfold.
‘We had this problem before. There were voices that were asking since the mid-70s [about the loss
of national identity] when the country started construction’, says Ebtisam al-Katbi, also a professor
of political science at UAE University.
Prof. al-Katbi says several factors have exacerbated this problem. First, most foreigners coming to
the UAE were initially Arab or Muslim, or from similar cultures. Today, more are coming from
the west, Russia or the Balkan countries, where the cultural values are markedly different. ‘It’s not
their fault. They come, they are not aware of the people’s values, the culture, what should be done
and what should not be done’, she says. ‘But they have misused their freedom here. I’ve never
seen people who go to work or malls with this kind of dress. I’m not calling for conservative action,
but this is still a Muslim country.’
‘It’s not a matter now of labour. You can limit labour. The problem now is that we are selling
properties to expatriates. You cannot limit that’, says Prof. al-Katbi. Foreigners should be
welcomed on a temporary basis, not as permanent residents, she says. ‘We are giving 99 years for
those who are buying the properties to stay here. Why 99? Five years is enough.’
Some Emiratis, especially among the younger generation, say that expatriates are a part of the
equation. Mishaal al-Gergawi, a 27-year-old, wrote an opinion piece in Abu Dhabi’s The National
headlined: ‘If we Emiratis don’t adapt, we’ll become extinct’, warning that there was a need for
integration and dialogue between expatriates and locals. He suggested promoting national culture
through such activities as desert camps, traditional dance, fi shing and diving trips, and visits to
elders. Long-term residency should be open to foreigners who have made a strong contribution to
the UAE and, ideally, have familiarized themselves with its values.
Other Emiratis advocate making Arabic the main language for communication, and improving the
public education system so Emiratis do not feel the need to attend private international schools.
‘We ought to note that we are not opposed to foreign nationalities and not opposed to the English
language’, says Bilal al-Bodour, assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Culture. ‘But this must
not be instead of our nationality, and our language, and our identity.’
Several initiatives are already in place to help preserve national identity. Watani, a UAE social
development programme, works with schools and universities to strengthen Emirati identity
among youth. In March, students from more than 20 universities across the UAE participated in a
conference on national identity at the University of Sharjah.
Source: adapted from ‘Foreign influences: expats force locals to ask who they are’, FT.com, 15/5/2008 (El Sawi, N.),
Copyright © The Financial Times Ltd.

Questions:
1- How would you describe the national identity of the UAE? How do they distinguish
themselves from other Arab countries?
2- What do you think the inhabitants there need to do to ‘preserve their own identity’

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