The diversity of the UAE’s population, in terms of nationality, ethnic origins and culture, is obvious to any resident or visitor. There are, it is said, people from about 200 countries who live here – and I have no reason to doubt that figure. Diversity has been part of the nature of the country since long before its federation, thanks to trading relations with other parts of the wider region that date back more than 7,000 years. Links with the Arab states of the Gulf, with Iran, and with the countries of South Asia and East Africa can be traced for millennia.
As the economic development prompted by the discovery and export of crude oil got under way a little more than half a century ago, so people arrived from countries that were farther afield. The opening up of far-flung trading links prompted arrivals from new countries, as did changes in the structure of global power. Thus the collapse of the Soviet Union allowed residents of the Central Asian states to travel abroad in search of business or employment. In recent years, the way in which Emirates and Etihad Airways have established networks that span the globe has led to yet further diversity.
Over the years, I have charted, somewhat haphazardly, my own first encounters with citizens of countries who have arrived to add to that diversity. I have noted the way in which, as time passes, not only do the numbers of people from these countries grow but they also come to occupy a wider range of positions within the economy.
When I first arrived, there were a few residents from East Africa, whose countries had been connected by trading links for generations, but there appeared to be very few from West Africa. Now West Africans can be found in business and in the security industry. People from the Caribbean countries were few and far between. I certainly don’t recall meeting any until a decade or so ago. Filipinos, once employed primarily in the hospitality industry or in clerical positions, as well as in domestic service, now include oil industry engineers and owners of companies, often serving their own, much-enlarged, community.
In the late 1970s, I rarely encountered citizens of China; now there are several hundred thousand, with hundreds of Chinese companies here. Dragon Mart in Dubai, is, I hear, the largest Chinese shopping centre outside China itself, which has become one of the UAE’s main trading partners.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, not only did more Russians appear, but so did Georgians, Azeris, Kazakhs and Tajiks, adding to the UAE’s melting pot.
I have yet to hear of any serious sociological study into the way in which the UAE’s diversity has evolved over the past few decades – but I would certainly welcome information on where I might find one. Like so much else in the country, the demographic composition is clearly still a work-in-progress, with implications that go far beyond simple numbers and reach throughout the economy.
In the meantime, I continue to keep my eyes open for the early birds that herald the arrival of new communities. Two or three years ago, I met my first UAE resident from Myanmar – but now I encounter others relatively frequently. Nepalis were once fairly rare; now they’re common. Brazilians can be found in business, as trade and investment grows – but there were none that I can recall from 30 years ago.
This weekend, I met my first UAE resident from Kyrgyzstan, one of the smaller Central Asian states, a young lady working for a hotel. To her, and to new arrivals from other states, I offer a warm welcome. I shall observe, with interest, the gradual growth of their communities and the role that, over the years, they will come to play in the continued development of this remarkably diverse society.
Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture
SPECS
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
The years Ramadan fell in May
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Brahmastra%3A%20Part%20One%20-%20Shiva
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAyan%20Mukerji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Alia%20Bhatt%20and%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
Company%20Profile
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The%20Killer
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh