Dubai is a cosmopolitan city. So is Newyork. But the kind of 'cosmopolitan' city that Dubai has become is different from a conventional cosmopolitan city. Dictionary.com defines the word as "free from local, provincial, or national ideas, prejudices, or attachments; at home all over the world". In the western context of a cosmoplitan city, it is one which does not define itself in nationalistic or partisan terms. There is no scope for domination of a community or over-bearing chauvinism from anyone.
By this definition, Dubai does fall short, though not totally.The city is home to a few million expats, who have come from all corners of the world to make a living.
What the city has managed to do well is that it has provided a level playing ground for all communities, and people of all nationalities. The city provides equal opportunities for anyone who is willing to work hard to make a good living. It provides unmatched quality of life this part of the world and is considered a heaven in the Middle East. One can see Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Americans, French, British, Africans of various nations in Dubai living and working together. There seems to be a natural melting of cultures and influences. But, look closer and one will notice that this melting is not really taking place. There are very clear boundries, barriers which are keeping people away from each other.
"Filipana bed space", " Indian living space" read some of the ads in the prominent newspapers when one looks for accomodation. Space has taken on nationalistic connotations. People of certain nationalities do not want to share space or even consider living with others. When one of my friends recently came to Dubai, i had a very hard time finding accomodation for her - since there werent many places available to begin with and also a lot of people backed off when they heard she was british. This seemed to be a case of reverse racism.
What is going wrong ?
I believe what is going wrong is an almost ghettoisation of Dubai. Satwa, Karama and other areas in Dubai are ghettos of Philipinos and Indians. There are huge clusters of people of the same nationalities living in their own world in Dubai. Walk down Karama and you will feel it is little India. There is a sense of nostalgia and perhaps even longing in the people who live here. The concept of space is also skewed here, with Indian style shops dotting the streets.
The other European and Arab expats seem to live in their own small groups, not mingling much with Asian communities.
Is it healthy ? one may ask Well, to begin with, it doesnt help to have this segregation based on nationality and race when one is living in such close proximity.
I believe there can be more inclusiveness built into the system and this can begin with making the areas which have become ghettos more open. Make them more inclusive, open and accepting of other people.
Dubai is a great place to live. It can be a better place if people start looking beyong their nationalities and start thinking of themselves as denizens of Dubai.
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Sabit, by reinforcing the disparate nature of people you have polarised your observation a little too heavily in the direction of differences. A land which is as relatively newly built has a few unmissable strong undercurrents of commonalities and many differences to that co exist alongside. And will continue to in my opinion for ages. Across the land what binds Dubai is its development and prosperity and zealous need to be viewed as a global melting pot. But the differences alongside are :
1. Hierarchical World:
We as humans innately are used to living in a hierarchical society within which it is extremely important for an individual to be 'somebody'. The master slave relationship exists at all levels in varying degrees and flavours. 'Maid servant' is still a commonly used term with little sign of derogatory western judgment attached to it. Both the 'maid' and her employer' is absolutely comfortable with this top-down relationship. It is more vital for us to be a 'someone', a need to be attached within a social role. This pressure to be in a socially recognised slot within the hierarchy is probably equal to higher than the pressure to be seen as wealthy.
2. Family : For most humans their families come first and the community,country and everything else after. As a member of the family especially a male you protect and acquire resources for 'your' family first at the cost of much else. This value is depleteing in some nationalaties and is on the rise with some- and hence is one more strong differentiator.
3, Wealth - :
You have already hinted at the politics which while being the reason for deep divisions and oppressions is also a binder in Dubai, albeit "locality wise". In a strange way this has strengthened the hierarchical demography. A large section of the masses do not see beyond the confines of wealth let alone nation or state.
4. The great white- non white- 'composite divide': Yes there is a unique composite sub-culture that exists between the western and eastern world. Both untrusting of each other, living with their pet perceptions being passed on blindly for ages.
5. Knowledge and Education:
Apart from the Chinese and Indians there is hardly any other culture which places as much focus on knowledge and education as we do. Once again a throwback to the east vs West perhaps? Amidst all the present day chaos and confusion we could easily miss noticing that - we are building what will probably come to be known as a great 'unknowledgable society'.
6.A hungry nation in great hurry:
Yes Dubai is in too much of a hurry, to be the "first" - to my mind it is this hurry that is a hunger bordering on paranoia which fuels the humongous young and growing middle class to compete and not necessarily to live harmoniously. They are all blinded by that common aspiration and all of them meet up on the same highway every day of their life ,
competing with all they have to go beyond what used to be a struggle to survive a few decades ago. This great Dubai hunger is unmatched and will fuel the ever changing shape of the global psyche.
Surely the list might go on including things like humans unparalleled love of food ,colour, cinema, theatre, humour, television amongst others. But the most striking thing in my opinion is all that divides is also that binds. There is simply no other country which manages diamteric opposites and contradiction like India does, and Dubai in some ways may not be similar to India but on a different axis is playing a similar environ.That to me defines DUBAI:)
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