It must have been fascinating to immerse yourself in such an entirely different culture. Also, it seemed, from 9000 miles away, to be a totally new and lavishly designed culture that emerged out of the heat and sand, only because there was oil under that sand. Did they have any real history or foundation of understanding other than "Wow, we are rich now!"?
It was fascinating. There was certainly a "rags to riches" culture, now in its second or third generation, and concern among the leadership that the 10 percent of the country that's Emirati native weren't developing the skills to thrive in a post-oil economy, if that day ever comes. They have diversified into tourism and financial services. I remember an Emirati student in response to a lecture on entrepreneurism: "We're Emirati. We don't create businesses. We buy them." But yes, there are native tribal Bedouin cultures, and some nostalgia for the sense of community they had when they weren't so wealthy and life wasn't so fast-paced.
It must have been fascinating to immerse yourself in such an entirely different culture. Also, it seemed, from 9000 miles away, to be a totally new and lavishly designed culture that emerged out of the heat and sand, only because there was oil under that sand. Did they have any real history or foundation of understanding other than "Wow, we are rich now!"?
It was fascinating. There was certainly a "rags to riches" culture, now in its second or third generation, and concern among the leadership that the 10 percent of the country that's Emirati native weren't developing the skills to thrive in a post-oil economy, if that day ever comes. They have diversified into tourism and financial services. I remember an Emirati student in response to a lecture on entrepreneurism: "We're Emirati. We don't create businesses. We buy them." But yes, there are native tribal Bedouin cultures, and some nostalgia for the sense of community they had when they weren't so wealthy and life wasn't so fast-paced.
Culture Shock: ‘Downton Abbey’ Illustrates Similarities to Lives of Gulf Aristocrats Today. So Does 'The Help'
https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/culture-shock-downton-abbey-illustrates
First Impressions of Teaching English At University in Abu Dhabi. As a woman, I had culture shock, but nothing to fear. By Lucia Holliday Buie
https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/first-impressions-of-teaching-english
UAE’s ‘Rags to Riches’ Story of Mind-boggling Change
https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/uaes-rags-to-riches-story-of-mind
Life At the Abu Dhabi Dog Park: A Daily United Nations Meeting https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/life-at-the-abu-dhabi-dog-park
Experiencing a Foreign Country Is Like Time Travel
https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/experiencing-a-foreign-country-is
Laborers, Indentured Servants, Runaways, Modern-Day Slaves, and Abused Workers Are All Too Common
https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/laborers-indentured-servants-run