Sheikh Mohammed slams stereotyped perceptions of Arabs

HARD TALK: Sheikh Mohammed answered over 75 questions from the region’s Arabic and English-language dailies. (Getty Images)

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE stressed the fact that some of the Western media had stereotyped perception about Arabs, the UAE and the emirate of Dubai.

Speaking in an unprecedented Internet forum with journalists, Dubai’s ruler said: “It seems that the success of the Arab, whether individual or state, city or a company, is seen as unacceptable. It seems that seeing distinct images of successful Arabs and Arab countries disturbs some people. They would rather stick with the distorted images of Arab stereotypes in their minds.”

Sheikh Mohammed described some of the Western media’s criticism following the global financial crisis as a “’media bombardment’ targeted at the UAE as a model for a federal state, a successful and prosperous Arab country”.

Welcoming questions on his website, Sheikh Mohammed said he is open to even objective criticism from the region’s media. “We do not mind receiving objective criticism that helps us improving our services and methods. If there were negative aspects, then we will address them and work toward revamping them.”

“Dubai, the city that has set up a successful economic model at a global level, was under a daily attack by some Western media, as if they were in a race against time to harm the UAE”, he added.

On Saturday, Sheikh Mohammed answered over 75 questions from the region’s Arabic and English-language dailies including Al Reyadh, Al Hayat, Egypt’s Al Ahram, The National and Al Khaleej dailies.

Arabian Business had sent 20 questions concerning Dubai and the global downturn; Sheikh Mohammed's replies on various issues on his website covered answers to nine of these questions.

Commenting on Dubai, the emirate’s ruler said, “We are not growing in order to be a model for its highest building in the world, best airport, and most luxurious hotel, and the largest seaport and man-made islands. These landmarks and features are unique and famous all over the world. But the Dubai model is beyond that. Dubai is an Arab city with scarce natural resources but with a clear vision of comprehensive development and social needs.

“It is a city that succeeded through its investments in human resources, its unique geographical location, and its trade expertise. This has enabled us to achieve unmatched growth and to become the focal connection between the East and West. Dubai has proved as well the possibility of coexistence of different cultures in an open and tolerant Arab Islamic environment.”

The Vice President of the UAE pointed out that Dubai’s model has proved the viability of investing in the region, of investing specifically in the knowledge economy and in human welfare. “It has also raised the citizens’ expectations in the region concerning levels of good governance and transparency, and the quality of public services and state-of-the-art infrastructure,” he said.

Dubai’s focus on providing the highest international standards in education and health systems, attractiveness as a global financial centre, partnerships with reputed financial institutions, global competence in the areas of air and sea transport and charitable initiatives to help developing the less fortunate countries are unique feature’s of the Dubai model, Sheikh Mohammed pointed out.

Though the Sheikh acknowledged some of the "few balanced articles reporting on what is the UAE doing regarding the effect of the global financial crisis", he slammed the biased, negative campaigns against Dubai and the UAE.

He however, assured that Dubai’s future was positive despite the global downturn.

“With regard to the fact that the global crisis effect threatens Dubai’s growth and economy, I can guarantee you that those references constitute ‘wishful thinking’ on the part of some people; they are illusions, not realities. The economic foundations and development are firm and stable; otherwise Dubai would not have been able to deal efficiently with the global financial crisis consequences.

“In addition to that, Dubai is not a city on its own. It is a member of the UAE federation, which is strong, resilient and successful – a federation that is able to face the most difficult challenges.”

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READERS' COMMENTS

STEREOTYPED PERCEPTIONS of Arabs
Posted by meila Tally, dubai, UAE on Tuesday 5 May 2009 at 10:55 UAE time


Commentators out there! would you be alien in your own country?
Having this place over saturated. Coming to live in my country is your personal choice yet the host country doing everything they could to accomodate you&folks. natives get preferential treatment so on!! expats not at ease can start pack up and go where they came from as simple as that go bug your government to meet your high expectation in life. The natives deserve better credit in their own homeland! remember that always where ever you go pal!
targeted at the UAE It seems that the success of the Arab, whether individual or state, city or a company, is seen as unacceptable. It seems that seeing distinct images of successful Arabs and Arab countries disturbs some people. They would rather Dubai, the city that has set up a successful economic model at a global level, was under a daily attack by some Western media & their people living amongst UAE CITIZENS NATIVES*

To Fadi
Posted by Doug on Monday 4 May 2009 at 16:19 UAE time


Fadi - attitudes such as yours - "you must be in the wrong because you're not a local", "I'm more offended by people giving the finger than watching children getting run over" - are precisely the reason why the vast majority of expats have no interest whatsoever in integrating with your culture.

You cannot have a culture where one demographic is absolutely right 100% of the time and can treat the remainder as some sort of subhuman serving class. Instead of asking for dialogue (like Justin), you're telling us to put up or shut up. I can only hope for everyone's sake that Western nations don't start adopting the same blinkered bigotry otherwise all hell will break lose. And then someone driving at the speed limit or somehow 'dishonouring' you will be the very least of your problems.

To Justin
Posted by Fadi, Dubai, UAE on Monday 4 May 2009 at 14:07 UAE time


Justin, in almost all countries of the world, natives get preferential treatment, so thats not a big deal.
Also, sorry to hear about your wife's case, but maybe she was driving too slow ? In that case the local student's anger is justified.

I am an expat but I fully realize that obscene gestures are worse than bad driving beacuse honor is more important than human life, and abusive behavior is an affront on one's honor.

Living in Dubai
Posted by Justin Twort, Dubai, UAE on Monday 4 May 2009 at 10:54 UAE time


I have been living in Dubai for five years. I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for the vision of Sheikh Mohammed and most of this countries leaders. I am constantly enforcing to my worldwide network of friends the high standars and ideals that the UAE leadership is trying to attain in all facets of society and am very happy to live here with my family. I cannot think of a place in the world where I would rather be at this time and get angry if outsiders try to make unfounded judgements. However I do agree that there are some home truths that need to be acknowledged by the local population and addressed. I welcome and encourage freedom of the press "who will watch the watchers" as no one wants to live in an un just society.
I get constant mails describing how there will be stiffer penalties for speeding, when my wife and I are almost weekly run off the road by SUV's with blacked out windows. I am sorry but there must be one rule for all when it comes to driving. A man who works all day with mental patients gets deported for making a rude gesture to a local who has almost killed him on the roads and then chased him all over town is not acceptable. My wife has been called to the police station after a local student claimed that she made a gesture (which she had not) and was left in tears. He was travelling well over the speed limit, practically rammed her car and then harrassed her down the road speeding up and slowing down. Please Sheikh Mohammed please make a stand to show what a great leader you are by making it known that respect for all nationalities must be equal and enforced by the law. If a percentage of the population thinks that they can get away with murder they will keep trying to do just that. For the UAE to be truly great, it must have one law for all.

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