Job Discussion Forums

[gregory999]

Living in Dubai: why don't expats integrate with Emiratis?

"It’s well-documented that expats in the UAE find it difficult to integrate with the Emirati population. According to a survey conducted last year by networking organisation InterNations, just 42 per cent of expats polled in the UAE feel they’ve integrated well with the local people, compared with a global average of 61 per cent.

Frankly, I’m surprised the number’s so high. I’d happily place a bet that, despite claiming to want to count Emiratis among their friends, the vast majority of my Western acquaintances in Dubai will not once have dined inside the house of a UAE national. The reality in Dubai is that most of us live in an expat bubble. Yes, our friends may come from 200 other countries – but do we have many Emirati friends? Unlikely.

I admit that we Brits, with our stiff upper lips, can be pretty stand-offish at the best of times. But are we really so scared of what lies behind the hijab that we won’t make an effort – or does some of the blame lie with our hosts?


"My point, I suppose, is this: if those of us who love the UAE focus on our common goals, not our differences, it doesn’t have to be “them” and “us” at all."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/life/living-in-dubai-why-dont-expats-integrate-with-emiratis/?ref=yfp

[dragonpiwo]

Lived in Doha for several years and Kuwait and Saudi and it was the same. Had Qatari football friends, one of whom came to my house regularly knew my wife and all our friends. Was never invited to his house. I asked him why and he said his brother was against westerners coming to their house as he had 4 sisters. It's not impossible to make friends with locals but we do tend to inhabit very different worlds and I think that's the crux of it. For the same reasons, I don't hang out, or indeed know, any Muslims in my home country.
Emirati people are very open and friendly but I think they just hang out with other Emiratis, especially the women. Birds of a feather etc.
We were warned explicitly about making friends with locals at several of the oil companies I've worked for. The motives can be things like access to booze and or girls. Naive teachers often get suckered into it.
No-one's ever said it but I also think there's a mindset that foreigners are here to work for them throughout the region. Not too many masters went out with their slaves in the so-called 'land of the free'.

[veiledsentiments]

Generality warning:

Locals in the Gulf usually come from huge families. They neither need nor want foreign friends... except very superficially. Speaking of the women... when you have 6-12 sisters, a couple hundred first cousins... and dozens of aunts, who needs a woman friend who will only be there for a short time. Not to mention that they have family responsibilities that take up most of their social time.

Sports allow the mixing of the younger teachers and local men, but the restrictions on the women's lives mean that one mainly gets wedding invitations. The only women that I was able to develop a nice friendship with were the rare managers who were my age. And, I only encountered these in Oman. In Kuwait and the UAE, the only local females that I had contact with would consider me their grandmother's age. LOL

I also found the 41% number to be high...

VS

[canadianUAE]

I've been invited to Emirati homes 3 times in 11 years! lol...so it's not easy to integrate. It's just the way it is.
One of those times, a former student invited myself and a couple of family members into his home where were really had a taste of Emirati tradional hospitality. Invited into the majalis, had a meal whilst sitting on the floor, then was introduced to his sisters. was a wonderful experience. I've hung out with Emiratis, pretty much only men, and it was usually at Captain's Arms are some other drinking establishment.
I've gone to the camel contests, and been to restaurants with locals, but really, it's not as often as I would have liked. Therel's also that "inshallah" attitude, where they invite you, and inshallah we'll meet Thursday, or the being invited out for dinner at 9 or 10 pm...no thanks! lol

[Captain Coddo]

I would dispute the implication here that I should actually WANT to integrate with Emiratis and their society. That was not the reason for me coming here. And I am pretty sure that the locals have no desire to integrate with us Westerners either.

[robinbanks]

It was much easier back in "the day"especially in Al Ain when ex studenst would want to beep you on the street and chat-whilst driving!I brought a Sharjah student over to Ireland for summer school,and he loved it-playing football until ten and being only one of two males in a class with seven sultry Spanish sirens in it-sorry,couldn't resist the alliteration.he later invited us to his house,but at least met his dad at the airport.
Thety would bring us out to the desert in the nineties for end of term "picnic specials".But to be honest after ahving taught them all week we need,us westerners a little more,erm,liquid lubrication.The dynamic is different know where ninety year old daddy has married the maid as his his "fourth"as she's not so demanding as a local lady (financially I mean,silly).The resuting kids though are well and truly shocked to realise they will actually have to work for a living,the males I mean.

[scot47]

Emiratis and others from the region socialise within family and kin boundaries. They do not mix with outsiders of their own ethnicity. Why would they mix with foreigners ?