Intermarriage In The UAE

791 Words4 Pages

Contrary to the literature that presents mixed marriages as a sign that differences between groups are becoming smaller and smaller, historically, and currently in the UAE, they have been perceived as a threat to society and social cohesion. As they crossed racial, ethnic and national borders risking the loss of the unique identity of a certain race or ethnicity (Hart; 2015). Syed Ali in his book Dubai: Gilded Cage, states that intermarriage in the UAE has been a phenomenon even before the oil-driven modern transformations. Moreover, in 1973 the late Sheikh Zayed AlNahyan commented on intermarriage saying they have a negative effect on society and they are discouraged. With that statement and the establishment of the Marriage Fund, …show more content…

In the UAE our Emirati ethnicity is our identity. Based on ethnographic field evidence, newspaper columns, and word of mouth in the UAE, Dr. Sulayman Khalaf in a 2005 published an article that stresses the importance of cultural identity for Emiratis. He examines the national dress of the UAE and argues that it is more than just an ethnic marker; it is a statement of social segregation, political class, history, and traditions. “The Emiratis’ current perception and need for the preservation and construction of their national identity as a politico-cultural enterprise has become more evident within the challenging new contexts of oil-wealth, rapid modernization and multiple global cultural flows and dynamics” (Khalaf; 265; 2005). The new social scene puts the Emirati identity in a vulnerable situation, a situation that promotes its extinction. Thus, the clinging to Emirati identity even through the subtlest things like national dress. As I mentioned above, part of the Emirati identity is the Emirati ethnic group and to ensure that the Emirati ethnic group continues to prosper and stay pure untainted, or changed, by others. The UAE has taken governmental measures to ensure the promotion of marriage within the Emirati nationality by establishing the Marriage Fund. This leads my research paper to expect all the generations of Emiratis to strongly disagree to intermarriage, as it poses a threat to their national identity and does not make them eligible for financial aid from the Marriage

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