United Arab Emirates :
Foreigners bring economic gain but social challenges
With tolerance wearing thin for behaviour considered inappropriate,
more and more Emiratis are denouncing the ‘offensive’ customs of the
very foreigners who are contributing to their country’s success.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai in particular, has undergone
breakneck development in recent decades, attracting foreign money and
foreign visitors, in their billions and millions respectively. But such
progress also has its price.
“We have become a minority. Our traditions are threatened and Arabic
is no longer a first language,” says Ibtisam al-Ketbi, a sociology
professor at the United Arab Emirates University.
“We are surrounded by foreigners and live in constant fear for our
children because of the spread of drugs and a rise in crime rates,” she
adds, echoing a sentiment felt by many ‘nationals’, as they are commonly
called.
The recent case of a British couple sentenced to a month in prison
after an Emirati mother complained that they were kissing in a Dubai
restaurant highlights a growing unease among a traditionally
conservative local population.
The two 20-somethings were also accused of consuming alcohol, a fact
they acknowledged, but said in their defence that they had only kissed
on the cheek.
Now they have had their passports confiscated and have to wait as
their case makes its way through the appeals procedure. They should find
out in April whether their conviction has been upheld or they are free
to leave.
It is understandable that many people in the UAE feel they are being
swamped.
Before the 1968 oil boom, nationals made up some 62 percent of the
federation’s population, but now account for just 16.5 percent of an
estimated population of six million, officials say.
In Dubai, the disparities are even greater. Emiratis make up only
around five percent of the two million residents, author of a book
called “Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success” Chris Davidson estimates.
“Many nationals now contend that they feel unwelcome in ‘certain parts
of the city and often complain that restaurant and hotel managers
discriminate against national dress,’ writes Davidson.
In Dubai, Emiratis entrench themselves in neighbourhoods on the
outskirts of the city in order not to have to mingle more than necessary
with foreigners, whose customs differ widely from their own.
“We are practically living in reservations and if this abnormal
growth continues at the current rate, in 20 years’ time we’ll end up
like the American Indians,” Ketbi told AFP.
“We were undergoing natural development until the property boom came
along in the past 10 years, and in the attempt to encourage foreign
investment, the city became open to everything, including alcohol and
prostitution.” On radio talk shows, Emiratis often complain of seeing
scantily clad foreigners in public parks and shopping malls, and express
concern about how easy it is to buy alcohol.
Special permits are required for restaurants and clubs to serve
alcohol, and individuals need a permit from the government. But alcohol
is still available in almost all hotels and in many restaurants.
Foreigners are required to be modestly dressed, but in reality this
provision is neither observed nor enforced either.
Nightclubs in Dubai can compare to those in major cities around the
world, alcohol flows freely at sporting events and restrictions on
women’s clothing are almost non-existent. The police do sometimes
intervene, however, as they did in the case of a British couple arrested
in 2008 accused of having sex on a public beach, a story that made
headlines across the globe.
Expat Michelle Palmer and tourist Vince Acors were each given a
three-month suspended sentence, fined and ordered to be deported.
The Britons denied having sex in public and public indecency, but
admitted to being under the influence of alcohol when they were caught
on Dubai’s Jumeirah public beach.
Their case drew unwanted attention to what has been a fine balancing
act of preserving tradition while also allowing in outside influences
that can quickly come into open conflict with an ancient and proud
culture.
“Emiratis are starting to lose much of their identity, and the
presence of so many expats leads to unacceptable behaviour that does not
conform to our traditions,” says Emirati writer and academic Abdel
Khalek Abdullah.
“What arouses UAE concern is the massive influx of foreigners due to
very rapid economic growth. If officials do not take bold steps, the
social costs of this frantic economic development will be much greater
than any economic benefits.” Abdullah thinks that “the Government must
review its development strategy and reduce the proportion of its
ambitious growth,” which may have slowed in Dubai today but is still
rampant in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.
According to author Davidson, the worldwide economic crisis has
caused anger over foreigners’ customs and behaviour to be more widely
expressed.
“The resentment nationals feel about foreigners is becoming more
public,” he believes.
Dawn.com
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