Richness in Culture, Not Currency

The population structure of the United Arab Emirates is highly unique. Eighty-five percent of the population of the country is comprised of expatriates, mostly individuals from South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Therefore Emiratis make up a huge minority within their own country. The vast disparity was evident everywhere we went, from the local souks to business headquarters, Emirati people were found far and in between.

With a strong affinity towards Middle Eastern cultures and a firm belief in the true value of cultural preservation, all I could think was that a rich Islamic culture was losing to globalization. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are being positioned as global hubs. Dubai already possesses every department store and hotel chain the world has to offer, and soon Abu Dhabi will be home to the Louvre and the Guggenheim Museums. Globalization on steroids; my greatest concern was how to preserve the region’s culture in such a global landscape.

I felt alone in my thoughts, as everybody was heralding the abnormally quick growth of the region and attributing them to the great prowess of our increasingly global world. After voicing my concern to a number of high-ranking business people we encountered, as well as managers from Mubadala, the central government fund for Abu Dhabi, I was relieved to discover that in fact, the Emiratis shared my anxiety. Cultural maintenance is a growing concern for nationals as they recognize that their country is currently managed and fueled by foreigners.

In response, the Sheiks have installed an Emiratization program. The thought is to encourage both public and private companies to hire local Emirati people who will be trained by their foreign counterparts. Essentially, the UAE (only approximately a thirty-five year old country) is acquiring expatriate skill-sets through knowledge transfers. This ingenious concept saves both time and resources, and ensures that the local Emirati people are trained by the most competent minds the global world has to offer. The program is aimed to build a sustainable Emirati business world fueled by its own people.

I am personally excited by the project, as it appears that the country has discovered a method of accelerating the typically slow process of climbing the corporate ladder. Emirati people hired normally possess university degrees from local or foreign universities (often through subsidy programs as well) and will be hired for positions currently held by expatriates. The expatriates, who are often living in the region for short transitional periods, will thoroughly train the locals to occupy their positions.

Although I recognize certain downfalls with the program, specifically in terms of finding enough willing Emirati people and the sustainability of essentially buying foreign knowledge, I believe that if expatriates ensure to impart their soft skills as well as their hard skills to the Emirati people (specifically in terms of management, innovation, organization), next time I visit the UAE, I will be pleasantly surprised.