Before going on vacation to the United Arab Emirates, it is recommended to get to know the history of the country and the mentality of the locals better. An example is the population of Dubai, where you can meet native Arabs, labor migrants, tourists and independent travelers. This will help to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings during communication, ordering services.
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Country history
Apart from the Neolithic, Stone and Bronze Ages, the first state formation on the territory of modern UAE arose in the 7th century. This happened through the unification of several sheikhs in the Arab Caliphate. At the same time, the state religion of this region, Islam, spread. Most of the population of Dubai and adjacent Sharjah, Abu Dhabi was engaged in fishing, pearling, trade. In the VIII century, the expansion of Great Britain began, which considered the caliphate a pirate state, as it wanted to monopolize the sea routes.
How the mentality of the indigenous population in the UAE was formed, its size:
- The truly indigenous people of Dubai are descendants of the Al Baniyaz tribe. They were the first to make this city an independent state in 1833.
- Attempts to gain independence began in the 20th century. When oil reserves were found, the struggle for independence began in Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah.
- The first public entity in modern history emerged in 1969. Then an official ruler was elected.
- The division into tribes is still observed. Each emirate has its own characteristics.
For the people of Dubai, real progress began after the formation of a foreign oil trade policy. The proceeds were used to improve the city. The second step of the government was the allocation of indigenous people – they are provided with benefits, good conditions for doing business.
The actual population of Dubai is still not exactly known. The last census was in 2005. At that time, there were about 3 million people in the resort city. Moreover, the share of indigenous people does not exceed 15%. The rest are labor migrants from around the world.
Life of the native Arabs
A feature of the ultra-modern United Arab Emirates is the self-determination of the inhabitants. Most of the indigenous people of Dubai call themselves Bani Yasi or Emirati. It all depends on the origin, the tribe. There is almost no unemployment in the country, the reason is a competent domestic policy. Newcomers have the right to apply for a workplace if there are no applicants from the local population for it. This principle is called Emiratization.
Officially, according to statistics, there are 2.16 times more men in the state than women. This preponderance is due to labor migration. Therefore, it is not recommended for women to go on vacation in the UAE on their own. You will not feel intrusiveness in tourist areas, hotels. But as soon as you get into working or business areas, signs of attention, sometimes annoying, will be noticeable from men.
Features of the life of indigenous Arabs in the UAE:
- Independence. Despite the data on the population in the UAE and the preponderance of labor migration, every citizen considers himself “the master of life.” A rich local resident is the norm for the UAE.
- Women in the United Arab Emirates have many rights. They adhere to Muslim traditions, the potential groom must prove the ability to provide for the family.
- Polygamy. The husband must provide each wife with a separate room, gifts in the amount of at least 30 thousand dirhams. Women’s rights are protected by laws.
- Laziness and inaccuracy. The reasons are government benefits and assistance. Before the oil boom, the indigenous population of this region and other emirates lived in poverty. Now the third generation is trying to compensate for this.
Distinguishing locals from tourists or visiting workers is easy. Every third representative of the state is obese. This is a common problem in developed countries. Women in the UAE can go bareheaded, but this is rare. More often they wear a hijab, they appear on the beaches in closed swimsuits.
Benefits for residents of the UAE
Residents of Dubai feel the first benefits already at birth, or rather, their parents. The state allocates $60,000 and a piece of land to each family. Primary higher education is free. University students who have shown themselves well in their studies can continue abroad for free. The state pays special attention to this.
Kike also provides benefits for residents of Dubai and other regions of the UAE:
- Medical service. It is free for local residents, an insurance policy is issued for each citizen. It can be used in private or public health facilities.
- Tax system. Taxes are levied only from commercial companies and organizations. There is no taxation for individuals, including for visiting workers. But they are required to draw up an insurance medical policy.
- After the age of 21, each citizen receives a plot of land and money to build a large house.
- Each new family can apply for an interest-free loan for 30,000 dirhams. Part is paid after the signing of the marriage contract, the rest – after the registration of marriage in the Sharia court. If a family has three or more children, the debt is canceled automatically.
Thanks to these methods, the population of Dubai is growing every year. But the main influx is made up of visitors who are trying to find work in the metropolis or who arrived in the country at the invitation of the employer.
Rules of conduct in the country
The United Arab Emirates is a religious Muslim country. 95% of the local population of Dubai visit mosques daily, perform namaz (prayer). This was reflected in local traditions and way of life. Local residents do everything slowly, being late for a business meeting or completely forgetting about it is a common practice. Foreign business partners face this.
However, in personal contacts and friendship, the people of Dubai perform very well. If you have achieved their location, you can come to visit, forgive help. But the latter is not recommended to be abused.
Basic rules of conduct in the UAE, local traditions:
- During the Ramadan holiday, it is forbidden to eat and drink during daylight hours. But this ban does not apply to non-Muslims and tourists.
- The traditional greeting for men is a handshake. It lasts longer than usual, if a local Dubai resident shows sympathy, he can do it with two hands. Shaking hands with women only on their initiative.
- Given the population of Dubai, you should not take pictures of passers-by on the street. This can lead to conflicts.
- Guests will be treated to food or drinks. Of the latter, Arabs prefer coffee.
- In the house you need to take off your street shoes. Instead, they cannot offer house slippers.
- Food and drink should only be passed with the right hand.
Most of Dubai’s population is adapted to European traditions. Therefore, minor violations of the rules of local behavior are not noticed or ignored. If the violations are serious, they will issue a warning. Contact the police only as a last resort.
About labor migrants
Up to 85% of the population of Dubai are migrant workers. Their position relative to the natives of the UAE is much worse. The reason is local labor laws. Illegals rarely enter the country, often they come on tourist visas and stay to work. Their number does not exceed 10-15% of the total number of migrants.
“Domestic workers” apply for a full-fledged visa, they are subject to local labor laws. They can change their place of work, residence. but it is difficult to issue such a permit document.
The worst working conditions for visitors under the Kafala Sponsorship System. They do not have the right to exercise the rights of local labor laws. They live in cramped hostels, the working day is not standardized. Therefore, the local population of Dubai has a dismissive attitude towards them.
What you need to know about labor migrants in the UAE:
- Try not to travel to their areas of residence. The reason is that there is simply nothing interesting there. The criminal situation is calm, tourists are safe.
- Communication. Not all visitors to Dubai know English. The exception is the staff of hotels, hotels.
- Most taxi drivers are visitors from Indonesia. They can artificially increase the route to increase the fare. But it is enough to hint that you will complain to the transport company, and the price will become normal.
According to tourists, the working population of Dubai and other regions of the UAE does not stand out from the background of the locals. They are uncommunicative, but can be intrusive in the service sector – the sale of goods, products. This is especially noticeable in the local markets for gold, spices, and souvenirs.
Salary in the UAE
Wage levels in the UAE depend on the category of the population in Dubai – local residents receive significantly more. Native Arabs work in government services. This is written into local labor laws. The exception is running your own business. This is encouraged by the state, preferential loans are issued.
About wages in the United Arab Emirates:
- Indigenous locals receive from 10,000 dirhams per month. Large salaries for civil servants.
- Visitors working under a contract can expect up to 2500-3000 dollars. Big salaries in the service sector.
- Kafala program sponsorship System get $350-$500 a month. This is the minimum wage in the UAE.
Tourists and independent travelers can see the social stratification of the population of Dubai and other metropolitan areas of the country. This is least of all manifested in tourist areas, amusement parks. But this does not cancel social inequality in the United Arab Emirates.