When visiting
Dubai, you might
hear expats
talking about
‘wasta’. The term
translates loosely
as ‘influence high
up’ and having
wasta can grease
the wheels in
just about every
transaction in
Dubai. Most
Westerners get
a little outraged
at the thought
of a select few
receiving favours
because of pow-
erful contacts –
until, of course,
they want some
help themselves.WASTA
health care and education as well as a marriage fund (although the
budgets don’t often meet the expenses of elaborate Emirati weddings).
These types of social benefits, and charities operated by generous
sheikhs such as Sheikh Mohammed, are essential to the survival of
poorer Emiratis in modern Dubai.
The upper and middle classes of Emirati society generally have ex-
pansive villas in which men and women still live apart, and male family
members entertain guests in the majlis (meeting room). In all classes of
Emirati society, extended families living together is the norm, with the
woman moving in with the husband’s family after marriage, although
some young couples are now choosing to buy their own apartments for
a little more privacy than the traditional arrangement allows.
The Impact of Islam
Although Dubai and Abu Dhabi are open and tolerant, they are still
Muslim emirates, and followers of Islam follow the laws of Islam. They
do not drink alcohol or eat pork – although both are available to non-
Muslims in both emirates. Perhaps most noticeable to visitors is the
fact that Friday is the holy day here, so the weekend falls on Friday and
Saturday. Emirati men are also permitted to have up to four wives, al-
though this is becoming less commonplace. Also worth noting is the fact
that the basis of the legal system in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is Sharia’a and
Islamic courts work alongside the civil and criminal courts in the UAE.
The Workplace
Most Emiratis work in the public sector, as the short hours, good pay,
benefits and early pensions are hard for people to refuse. The UAE gov-
ernment is actively pursuing a policy of ‘Emiratisation’, which involves
encouraging Emiratis to work in the private sector, and encouraging
employers to reject negative stereotypes and hire them. In the long
term the government hopes to be much less dependent on an imported
labour force.
Expat WorkErS
Across the UAE, expats constitute a staggering 79.7% of the population.
Although there has been a slump in the number of Western professional
expats working in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (largely due to a slowing down
of new projects), there is still a healthy quota here, as well as blue-collar
workers; most of the latter hail from India, Pakistan and the Philippines
and, increasingly, from other parts of Asia, as well as Africa.
Disposable income plays a big part in how people live. At the top end
of the pay scale is the professional and wealthy management class, mem-
bers of which can expect a good salary package, a nice car, a large villa
with maid and nanny and a lifestyle that allows them to travel overseas
for two months a year. Housewives left with little to do at home spend
much of their time with other women in similar circumstances. These
‘Jumeirah Janes’, as other expats call them with a hint of derision, keep
the cosmetics and spa industries alive and the cafes ticking over during
the day.
At the other end of the scale is a vast army of service-sector work-
ers, most from India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Working as line
cooks and servers and in supermarkets, these expats stand to make
more money in the UAE than at home, usually working six days a week
and sharing rooms in cheap accommodation.
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