Voices on Emiratization: the impact of Emirati culture on the workforce participation of national women in the UAE private banking sector

Abstract

This paper presents research conducted into the impact of Emirati culture on the workforce participation of national women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) private banking sector.

Beginning by exploring the concept of culture, the paper proceeds to frame such a concept as it pertains to diversity and gender in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. The UAE is then briefly examined from the perspective of gender, class, state and development, with regard to the workforce participation of indigenous females in the UAE private sector, and in particular the impact of Emirati culture upon such participation. The current status of Emiratization is reviewed, following which the UAE banking sector, and Emirati female labour force participation within this sector, are explored. The research rationale and study methodology is discussed, before an analysis of the data collected and the research conclusions and recommendations are then presented.

Keywords:

• culture
• UAE
• Emiratisation
• gender
• diversity
• women
• development
• workforce participation
• labour
• banking sector
• employment
• entry barrier

Notes

¹I Baud. and KH Mahgoub, Towards Increasing National Female Participation in the Labour Force (Research Report 2, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (CLMRI), The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), United Arab Emirates 2001); C Nelson, UAE National Women at Work in the Private Sector: Conditions and Constraints (Labour Market Study 20, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (CLMRI), The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), Dubai 2004).

²For the purpose of this study, the term “culture” is utilized as an over‐arching concept incorporating social ideas, norms, and values, in which all forms of social change occur, and is therefore dynamic and changing over time. This interpretation incorporates all social action, including economic and political, allowing for an examination of cultural practices, and the social and political context in which they are manifested.

³For the purpose of this study, the term work (or labour) force participation is defined in International Labour Organization (ILO) terms, whereby an individual of working age “…engages actively in the labour market, either by working or looking for work,” with the working‐age population being considered to be the whole population aged 15 to 65+, see ILO, ‘key indicators of the labour market (KILM) programe: the 20 key indicators of the labour market (KILM 1. Labour force participation rate, 2005) 〈http://www.ilo.org.public/english/employment/strat/kilm/indicators.htm#kilm1〉 accessed 20 August 2006.

⁴Middle East and North Africa, referring to Middle East and North Africa, which for the purposes of this paper refers to all the countries from Morocco to Iran, excluding the sub‐Saharan countries of Sudan, Somalia and Mauritania

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¹⁹United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Arab Human Development Report 2002 (Oxford University Press, New York 2002); Moghadam, op. cit.

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²⁶This Iranian concept describes the phenomenon of excessive Westernization, resulting in an individual, often one who has received a Western education, experiencing alienation from their own culture. As the most vulnerable individuals to gharbzadegi are believed to be women, enforcing hijab in Iran was identified as the solution to preserving group cultural identity and integrity (N Tohidi, ‘Modernity, Islamization, and Women in Iran’ in VM Moghadam (ed) Gender and National Identity: Women and Politics in Muslim Societies (Zed Books, London 1994).

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²⁹Moghadam, op. cit.

³⁰R Sabban, ‘United Arab Emirates: Migrant Women in the United Arab Emirates; the case of female domestic workers’ (GENPROM Working Paper 10, Series on Women and Migration, Gender Promotion Programme, International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva nd) 〈http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/gems/download/swmuae.pdf〉 accessed 2 June 2008.

³¹Nelson, op. cit.

³²F Heard‐Bey, ‘The Tribal Society of the UAE and its Traditional Economy’ in I Al Abed and P Hellyer (eds), United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective (Trident, London 2001).

³³Ibid. 114.

³⁴I Al Abed, P Vine and P Hellyer (eds), United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 (Ministry of Information and Culture, Trident Press, London 2004) 233.

³⁵Ibid.

³⁶JC Caldwell, Theory of Fertility Decline (Academic Press, London 1982).

³⁷D Kandiyoti, ‘Bargaining with Patriarchy’ (1988) 2(3) Gender and Society 274.

³⁸Tanmia, A Strategy for Career Development (Employment and Human Resources Report, The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), Dubai 2004).

³⁹Baud, op. cit. 9.

⁴⁰Tanmia, op cit. 10.

⁴¹ Abāya: black over‐cloak commonly worn by Emirati women in public.

⁴² Shayla: headscarf commonly worn by Emirati women in public.

⁴³Arabwomenconnect (2003) ‘Women in the U.A.E.’, Arabwomenconnect 〈http://arabwomenconnect.org〉 accessed 1 May 2003.

⁴⁴A Abdelkarim, (ed), Employment and Employability in a Small Oil Economy: The UAE (Shaker, Maastricht 2001).

⁴⁵I Al Abed, P Vine and P Hellyer (eds) United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2006 (Ministry of Information and Culture, Trident Press, London 2006) 238.

⁴⁶Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 232.

⁴⁷AT Al Sadik, ‘Evolution and Performance of the UAE Economy’ in I Al Abed and P Hellyer (eds) United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective (Trident, London 2001) 220.

⁴⁸Abdelkarim, op. cit.

⁴⁹Tanmia, Towards Employable Skills: Reform of Higher Education Programmes (Employment and Human Resources Report, National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), Dubai 2004) 4.

⁵⁰Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 232.

⁵¹Khaleej Times ‘Country needs well trained cadre: Zayed’ Khaleej Times (10 March 2003) 1.

⁵²Gulf News ‘Zayed's policies empowered women’ Gulf News (6 November 2004) 5.

⁵³J Goodwin, Price of Honour, Muslim Women Lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic World (Warner Books, London 2001).

⁵⁴Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 237.

⁵⁵Ibid. 245.

⁵⁶Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 238.

⁵⁷N Kawach, ‘Divorce rate resists emphasis on family’ Gulf News (14 August 2004) 7.

⁵⁸Nelson, op. cit.

⁵⁹Tanmia, Towards Employable Skills, 3.

⁶¹Tanmia. Towards Employable Skills: Reform of Higher Education Programmes, Employment and Human Resources Report (The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), Dubai, p. 4.

⁶⁰Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 243.

⁶²Baud, op. cit.

⁶³Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 234.

⁶⁴Ibid.

⁶⁵S During, Cultural Studies: A Critical Introduction (Routledge, New York 2005).

⁶⁶Moghadam, op. cit. 16.

⁶⁷M Shihab, ‘Economic Development in the UAE’ in I Al Abed and P Hellyer (eds) United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective (Trident, London 2001).

⁶⁸A Kazim, The United Arab Emirates, AD 600 to the Present: A Socio‐Discursive Transformation in the Arabian Gulf (Gulf Book Centre, Dubai 2000).

⁶⁹Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 .

⁷⁰ Nasab: lineage or kinship.

⁷¹Kazim, op. cit. 420.

⁷²Ibid.

⁷³ Wasṭa: Influence or power which is held by a person because they are a member of a powerful, wealthy or respected family, or in some way connected to such a family

⁷⁴A “Family Book” is a document proving Emirati heritage

⁷⁵I Al Abed, ‘The Historical Background and Constitutional Basis to the Federation’ in I Al Abed and P Hellyer (eds), United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective (Trident, London 2001).

⁷⁶ Majlis: (literally “a sitting”) an open meeting where individuals can seek audience with the Sheikh or Sheikha in order to voice opinions.

⁷⁷Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 236.

⁷⁸Hellyer, P. ‘Evolution of UAE Foreign Policy’ in I Al Abed and P. Hellyer (eds), United Arab Emirates: a New Perspective (London, Trident 2001).

⁷⁹Al Sadik, op. cit. 202.

⁸⁰Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), ‘United Arab Emirates’, The World Factbook (CIA, Washington 2006) 〈http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ae.html〉 accesed 19 June 2006.

⁸²Shihab, op. cit. 251.

⁸³Sabban, op. cit.; D. Abu Ghazaleh, ‘We can’t afford to see UAE nationals jobless: Al Tayer’ Gulf News (21 September 2004) 34.

⁸⁴Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 84.

⁸¹DDIA. ‘Dubai Development and Investment Authority’ (2004) 〈http:www.ddia.ae〉 accessed 29 September 2004.

⁸⁵NBD, ‘Emiratization efforts in the UAE: impediments to a serious vision’ (National Bank of Dubai, 2002) 〈http://www.nbd.com/NBD/NBD_CDA/CDA_WEB_PAGES/Financial_Outlook〉 accessed 14 February 2005, supra n. 126.

⁸⁶Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 226.

⁸⁷Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2006 , 222.

⁸⁸Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2007, 217.

⁸⁹Nelson, op. cit.

⁹⁰Tanmia, Strategy for Career Development.

⁹¹I Al Abed and P Vine (eds), United Arab Emirates Yearbook 1999 (Ministry of Information and Culture, Trident Press, London 2000).

⁹²Baud, op. cit. 2.

⁹³J Cameron, Preliminary Interpretations of Background Information on the Labour Markets in the Five Northern Emirates (Centre for Labour Market Research and Information, Tanmia, Dubai 2002).

⁹⁴Nelson, op. cit. 16.

⁹⁵Ibid.

⁹⁶Tanmia, Towards Employable Skills, 23.

⁹⁷Tanmia, Strategy for Career Development, 16.

⁹⁸Abdelkarim, op. cit.; S Al Hashimi, Work and Work Conditions of the UAE Nationals in the Private Sector (UAE National Labour Force Survey Series 1, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (CLMRI), The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority [Tanmia], Dubai, 2002); HB Morada, (2002) Work and Work Conditions of the UAE Nationals: A Four‐Sector Comparison (UAE National Labour Force Survey Series 5, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (CLMRI), The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority [Tanmia], Dubai, 2002).

⁹⁹Baud, op. cit.; Nelson, op. cit.

¹⁰⁰Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 232.

¹⁰¹R Dean, ‘The Gulf in 2003 What's in Store for the GCC in 2003 (2002) 7(8) Gulf Business.

¹⁰²Baud, op. cit.

¹⁰³Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2006 , 242.

¹⁰⁴Ibid., 222

¹⁰⁶Ibid.

¹⁰⁷Nelson, op. cit.

¹⁰⁸Ibid. 7.

¹⁰⁵Nelson, C. UAE National Women at Work in the Private Sector: Conditions and Constraints (Labour Market Study No. 20, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (CLMRI), The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), Dubai).

¹⁰⁹Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2006 , 242.

¹¹⁰Tanmia, Towards Employable Skills, 5.

¹¹¹Nelson, op. cit..

¹¹²Tanmia, Towards Employable Skills, 5.

¹¹³Al Abed, supra n. 96.

¹¹⁴Morada, op. cit.

¹¹⁵G Yang, Retaining the UAE National Employees in the Private Sector: Findings of two Surveys and Lessons to Human Resource Managers, UAE National Labour Force Survey Series 6, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (Tanmia), Dubai 2002).

¹¹⁶Al Hashimi, op. cit.

¹¹⁷Nelson, op. cit.

¹¹⁸Tanmia, Towards a Strategy for Enhancing Wage Employment of UAE Nationals in the Private Sector (Employment and Human Resources Report, The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), Dubai 2004) 21.

¹¹⁹Al Hashimi, op. cit.

¹²⁰Nelson, op. cit.

¹²¹Yang, op. cit.

¹²²Tanmia, Strategy for Career Development, 26.

¹²³Cameron, op. cit.

¹²⁴Nelson, op. cit.

¹²⁵Abdelkarim, op. cit. 43.

¹²⁶I Baud. and KH Mahgoub, Towards Increasing National Female Participation in the Labour Force (Research Report 2, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (CLMRI), The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), dubai 2001).

¹²⁷Nelson, op. cit.

¹²⁸ Ḥarām: unacceptable on religious grounds, forbidden according to Islam.

¹²⁹ Riba: interest (banking term), the practice of lending money and charging interest or charging a fee for the use of money. Generally speaking, interest of any kind is forbidden in Islam.

¹³⁰Nelson, op. cit.

¹³¹Baud and Mahgoub, op. cit.; Nelson, op. cit.; Tanmia, A Strategy for Career Development; Tanmia, Towards a Strategy for Enhancing Wage Employment; National Bank of Dubai (NBD), op. cit.

¹³²Tanmia, Strategy for Career Development.

¹³³Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), United Arab Emirates (Country Profile 2003, Pattersons, Dartford, UK 2003).

¹³⁴Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2006 , 91.

¹³⁵Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 96.

¹³⁶Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2006 , 91.

¹³⁷EIU, op. cit.

¹³⁸Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2007 , 95

¹³⁹K Ram. and OS Ahmed, Skills, Wages and Working Conditions in the Banking Sector, Survey 1, Sector Survey Series, Centre for Labour Market Research and Information (CLMRI), The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia), Dubai 2001).

¹⁴⁰Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 228.

¹⁴¹Baud and Mahgooub, op. cit.

¹⁴²Ram and Ahmad, op. cit. 2.

¹⁴³Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2006 , 222.

¹⁴⁴Ram and Ahmad, op. cit.

¹⁴⁵Ibid.

¹⁴⁶Ibid. 4.

¹⁴⁷Ibid.

¹⁴⁸Abdelkarim, op. cit.

¹⁴⁹A Dommisse and W Kazi, ‘Securitisation and Shariʾah Law’ (2005) 60 Middle East Banker 48.

¹⁵⁰T Wohlers‐Scharf, ‘Arab and Islamic Banking: A Short History and a Long Future’ in P Barker (ed), Arab Banking and Finance Handbook 1983 , Falcon, Bahrain 1983) 38.

¹⁵¹SH Homoud, ‘Islamic banking in theory and practice’ in P Barker (ed), Arab Banking and Finance Handbook 1983 (Falcon, Bahrain 1983).

¹⁵²SJ Malaikah, ‘Islamic vs. Conventional Banks: Control Measures of Banking Business’ in VN Gopalakrishnan (ed) Arab Banking and Finance Handbook 2001 (Tele‐Gulf Directory, Bahrain 2001) 12–13).

¹⁵³AA Yousif, ‘What Are the Problems Confronting Islamic Banking?’ in VN Gopalakrishnan (ed), Arab Banking and Finance Handbook 2001 (Tele‐Gulf Directory, Bahrain 2001) 8.

¹⁵⁴EIU, op. cit. 42.

¹⁵⁵Al Abed and others, United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2004 , 220.

¹⁵⁶Moghadam, op. cit. 44.

¹⁵⁷For the purposes of this research the term “natal” family is used to describe the family into which the participants were born.

¹⁵⁸Tanmia, Towards a Strategy for Enhancing Wage Employment.

¹⁵⁹Morada, op. cit.

¹⁶⁰Baud and Mahgoub, op. cit.

¹⁶¹For the purposes of this study, a marital family is the one which she has married into.

¹⁶²Tanmia, Towards a Strategy for Enhancing Wage Employment.

¹Burns, 1994

²Denzin 1970.

³See Jacob, 1990; Wiggins, 1998; Maxwell, 1996.

⁴See Scandura and Williams, 2000.

⁵Bryman 1984, p.78.