Does Dubai Have a Culture?

Karina Valrani

DUBAI—Dubai is often labeled as having no culture: only 15% of the population is native; the other 85% are expatriates who immigrated to Dubai. People from outside Dubai explain that a city is when a plethora of cultures come together, a city’s culture can be lost when they clash.

As the world continues to globalize, cities often become clones of each other, attracting people from similar countries around the world. Dubai is different: its demographics are unlike any other city. 

I am the daughter of two expatriates from India, and I reluctantly admit that I sometimes feel disconnected from my Indian roots - a common feeling shared amongst ex-pats. I am, however, part of a larger community: the community of Dubai. While I am originally from India, I have lived in Dubai my entire life which has geographically and culturally dissociated me from India. While living in a different country than where you are originally from can be a burden, there is a common bond in Dubai: the mutual feeling of being far from home which is shared amongst 85% of Dubai’s population.

Despite Dubai being one of the most multicultural cities in the world, its people manage to rejoice under a common bond. Perhaps this bond is the mutual feeling of living far from home. In the end, I genuinely believe Dubai is successful because of the desire of expatriates to share their distinct culture with the community. The integration of cultures creates a unique culture of Dubai, leading to a new national identity.

Dubai redefines the meaning of ‘culture’. In Dubai, culture is the interaction between different customs (instead of similar) and beliefs that provide distinct experiences, create new traditions, and form original perspectives on the world. While my friends and I have embraced this common identity, we have not discarded our own culture. We still remember where we came from while supporting the amalgamation of cultures. 

Dubai is the world’s most cosmopolitan city. Living in Dubai, moreover, allows me to realize it is so much more. Dubai is a city with real emotion and soul. The blend of people's experiences and perspectives creates a new culture in and of itself: a culture distinct to Dubai. 

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