The United Arab Emirates is a modern crossroad between civilisations. Since its creation, 46 years ago, the UAE has been a catalyst for long-term peace and stability in troubled Middle East.

The emirates is a success story of a tribal leader who had the vision to gather seven emirates under one flag and transform the tribal culture that depended only on agriculture and fishing into an entrepreneurial nation with world-class infrastructure. It has continually invested in human capital by removing illiteracy and encouraging flexible labour market policies. But then again, one might ask how can a small country of nine million, mostly expatriates (only one million national) can be spared of community tensions, terrorism, revolts, etc.?

Being a mosaic of communities, countries from the Levant such as Iraq and Syria can learn from the UAE experience. The UAE is known for its commitment to tolerance. It has instilled in its education programme a spirit of openness and understanding towards other cultures. By teaching empathy and respect towards everyone, the UAE is creating a strong future generation that values altruism, celebrates diversity and respects differences.

Prejudice against minorities, immigrants and people of different cultures are both expressed and reinforced by stereotypes. These are big challenges to intercultural understanding and harmony in pluralistic societies. The UAE is therefore strict and penalises any act of racism with severe sanctions.

To guarantee its internal security, the Emirati leadership has wisely developed an elaborate strategy. Its decision to allow diversity in the armed forces has allowed additional protection against the risks of political turbulence.

When you build an army from different sections of citizens you create unity and a strong sense of patriotism. This applies to all the institutions of the state, where the young are hired for their competence and not merely to fill ethnic, tribal or religious quotas. The UAE leaders understand well that corruption can corrode the nation, and thus efforts have been made to give citizens the means to have a decent life and opportunities to remain gainfully employed.

The UAE model also teaches the importance of negotiations and peaceful means to resolve disputes and conflicts. The emirates has played a leading role in reconciling the Palestinian factions, while it has supported the economic needs of the Palestinians.

The emirates plays an active role in the humanitarian field, too. The OECD listed the UAE as the most generous country in the world in 2017 and the UN has featured the UAE as the largest donor relative to its per capita income in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

The Levant countries can learn from the UAE's experience and remember Sheikh Zayed's wise words: "No matter how many buildings, foundations, schools and hospitals we build, or how many bridges we raise, all these are material entities. The real spirit behind the progress is the human spirit, the able man with his intellect and capabilities."

Christiane Waked is a Political and Risk Analyst based in Beirut

 

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