UAE FM stresses tolerance among multi-cultural population

Abu Dhabi: The UAE treats its population of mixed nationalities with tolerance as part of its commitment to globalisation, said Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, on Tuesday.

"We have a mix of cultures with around 200 nationalities in the UAE, and we coexist in peace," he said at the opening of a two-day conference on National Identity.

"However, this mix should not affect our national identity," he said, making clear that a vital part of making the tolerant UAE work well was for the government to maintain and support the UAE people's own sense of who they are, which is clearly challenged by the large numbers of expatriates in the country.

"The community profile [meaning the mix of nationalities in the UAE] is a problem but we cannot isolate ourselves from our surroundings. We need to work to maintain our identity, and the committee chaired by Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has lots of recommendations which will be implemented," said Shaikh Abdullah.

'Social instability'

Other speakers discussed various angles on the emotive issue of protecting the national identity, but none was more outspoken than Maj Gen Dahi Khalfan, Dubai Police Chief.

He deplored the substantial proportion of foreigners in the country, showing pictures of burnt-out buses and shops to illustrate the effects of labour riots in the UAE.

Speaking out against the dangers of social instability created by large foreign minorities, he said, "The biggest challenge to national security is the immigration of large numbers of people. The UAE is at a crossroads."

He spoke in favour of changing the demographic balance so that no nationality is more than 25 per cent of the total population of the country.

During a debate, Shaikh Abdullah disagreed with the comments made by Maj Gen Dahi, saying, "We live in an open and tolerant country. Despite what Dahi said it is the richer with all these elements."

Website: Questions on identity

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development's new website will feature a questionnaire on national identity.

Minister Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais told Gulf News the ministry will launch a website with the questionnaire containing 100 questions to rate national identity. The response will be immediate through the system, he said.

— Eman Mohammad, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor