Why is Dubai more tolerant towards the West than the rest of the middle east?

Question

It is more tolerant although it shares the major religion of the middle east, and many of the cultural traits of the rest of the region. It is also geographically closer than most middle eastern countries to Saudi Arabia, which is one of the least westernized countries of them all. And what do you think the rest of the middle east thinks of Dubai?

Answer 1

Please do not forget that the UAE was a british colony before it became the UAE. Means, the Emirates where under western influence a long time before getting independent.

The leaders of the UAE (especially Dubai) know that sooner or later they have to depend on tourism because oil will not last forever. Most of UAE today's leading heads got educated in the West and are familiar with Western customs without loosing their own heritage. But of course these people are more open minded than others.

Leading people in the UAE just know that there is no future of the UAE without compromising with the West (accepting Western culture up to a certain extend). Point is, that the UAE is and will always be a Muslim country. Opinions from other Middle East Countries may be divided, but the UAE has to think it's own interests first.

From own experience I can tell you that many people from other Middle East countries would like to come here and live/work in the UAE. Guess in most cases the offered salary is more worth than thinking about how westernized the UAE is.

Money and knowledge is what makes the world go around. Same for the UAE - but Emiratisation is on the way.

Take care.

Answer 2

Like the above poster said. It is tolerant because they have money and know whats best for them. But they are not really westernized. Modernization starts at the mind and the people of dubai still live in the 7th century, mentally, even if they hire western firms to build them skyscrappers.

Answer 3

Dubai is more tolerant because Dubai has massive piles of money, and with massive piles of money comes capitalism and westernization. You just can't get massive piles of money without westernizing somewhat. It's much like the famous answer Willie Sutton gave when someone asked him why he robbed banks - "Because that's where the money is." Why is Dubai westernized? Because that's where the money is.

That said, there are still some serious problems with Dubai - thetruthaboutdubai.com has some pretty chilling stories.

As for what the rest of the Middle East thinks of Dubai, the Middle East is not a hive mind, and opinions about it are diverse. Some see it as a model of progress for Arab nations and economies. Other think it's too westernized. There is no more of a single answer to what the Middle East thinks of Dubai than there is a single answer to what the United States thinks of San Francisco.

Answer 4

Dubai is surely tolerant toward the west, but I don't think Bahrain (just as an example) is any less tolerant.

I love both countries. They're both close to Saudi Arabia, but I think Saudi Arabia isn't the least westernized country in the middle east. In many ways, Saudi Arabia is more Americanized than Yemen.

I agree with the other answers about the business influence on tolerance toward the west. In other words, common interest bring nations closer to each others.