Dubai: Never has UAE society engaged in a debate about its national identity as vigorously as it has this year.
So intense is it that 2008 has been earmarked as National Identity Year. The issue has turned into a debate among various segments of society, with opposing and at times conflicting points of view being expressed.
For many Emiratis it has become an exercise in soul searching - not so much about what has defined the national identity over the decades, but the shape it will be moulded into in the future.
This is not surprising given that UAE society is facing a challenging situation - one that is governed by the forces of rapid development, a demographic imbalance and globalisation. To exist as a minority in one's own country is an issue.
According to analysts, the foreigners living in the UAE has already and will further change and weaken the Emiratis' grip on their sense of national identity.
In a four-part series, Gulf News takes a deeper look at the debate, beginning today with a definition of its parameters and how Emiratis perceive it.
Do you think that the UAE national identity is being threatened? How far is it being affected by different elements such as demographic imbalance, globalisation and the media? What is the best way to address concerns about national identity? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com.
