'Consumerism and foreigners' greatest identity threats

Residents of the UAE say the burgeoning expatriate population and consumerism are the greatest threats to national identity, according to a study published today.
In the survey, conducted by the market-research company YouGov Siraj, 60 per cent of Emiratis questioned said they felt a sense of isolation as their cultural identity became increasingly diluted by large numbers of expatriates.
In contrast, 71 per cent of the western expatriates surveyed said that the biggest threat to Emirati culture and identity was the country's "highly materialistic and consumerist society". Despite those sentiments, 81 per cent of the 628 respondents - Emirati and expatriate - said they belonged in the UAE.
More than half said the country's safety record was the main attraction. Most of those surveyed agreed that a sense of national identity could be developed by creating a "consolidated vision across the emirates that all citizens and residents can relate to equally" and by communicating traditional values.
High rents, traffic and inflation emerged as the three main problems residents have.
Traffic was considered the biggest problem in Sharjah, where 56 per cent of those surveyed said it reduced the quality of their lives.
The survey found that nationals were the most likely group to say the UAE is a good place to raise a family.
A fifth of all Asians questioned cited discrimination as a key complaint. Most Western and Asian expatriates said their inability to speak Arabic had not been an obstacle to their career aspirations.
The survey will be featured this evening on Emirates Tonight, on the Arabic-language Emirates Channel.
* The National