Drive-through cities: cars, labor, and exaggerated automobilities in Abu Dhabi

ABSTRACT

This paper examines automobile dependence within the city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Significant attachment to cars, and a combination of social, cultural, and demographic factors, have created unique expressions of automobility – labeled here as exaggerated automobilities. The paper attempts to understand how and why these new displays of automobility emerge. It also focuses on the drivers’ attitudes of dominance and superiority towards non-drivers – in this case, low-income migrant workers. The paper reviews literature relevant to automobility and labor flows in the UAE. It then documents some of these expressions of automobility through ethnographic observations in the city and a survey of young drivers.

KEYWORDS:

• Automobility
• car culture
• Abu Dhabi
• marginalization
• workers
• GCC
• transportation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Dune-bashing involves driving a 4 × 4 vehicle off-road in the sand dunes, usually as part of a convoy. It is a very popular pass-time in the region, and considered a form of extreme-sports with a significant following https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/explore/desert/dune.bashing.aspx.

2. Drifting is a form of motorsports, where the driver intentionally oversteers the car while applying power – causing it to travel sideways. This could take place illegally in some areas, or within formal venues https://www.yasmarinacircuit.com/en/drift.

3. Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on women drivers as of 2018 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44576795.

4. Though no official statistics are available, a significant percentage of bachelors are practicing Muslims.