UAE TOURISM SECTOR; BENEFITS, PROSPECTS, AND CHALLENGES
Dubai is one of the most unique and dynamic cities in the UAE and the world. From an abundance of cultural heritage to one of the best economies in the world, Dubai is what people consider the place to live in. If you have traveled to the UAE before then, you can amaze your peers with tales of seeing the biggest mall in the world(Dubai Mall), the tallest building in the world, and a place with something for everyone. However, if you have not been to the UAE before, then this is for you. The economic, cultural, and educational aspects of the UAE society is an issue that needs to be tackled because the UAE has an economy that majorly depends on tourism in addition to petroleum. This paper will discuss the benefits, prospects, and challenges the tourism sector of the UAE faces due to the economic, cultural, and educational aspects of the UAE society.
United Arabs Emirate has a very productive economy. For instance, Dubai, a city in the UAE, will never fail to impress. It is considered the jewel of UAE. From harboring the biggest mall in the world to the tallest building in the world, Dubai is undoubtedly the heart or corporate Arabia (Jundi & Guellil, 2018). These features will sure encourage tourists from all the corners of the world to visit the UAE. The artificial megastructures in the UAE, like the palm island, is a wonder that not only leaves you wanting to visit and see but also compels you to crave more and want to live there. For the last decade, the economy of the UAE has been highly boosted by tourism. The beautiful beaches, resorts, mountains, deserts, fantastic wildlife, megastructures, and traditional boat rides have been a significant tourist attraction prospect. To keep up in a competitive sector of tourism, the United Arab Emirates still makes advancements to be unique. Construction of the biggest mosques in the world gives pilgrimage to the United Arab Emirates holiest city, Saudi Arabia, a world-class status (Jundi & Guellil, 2018). The economic aspect of the UAE society on tourism is undoubtedly a positive one, and the transformation of the UAE economy is still in its early stages. Being a desert nation, measures are taken when adverse conditions threaten the safety of the United Arab Emirates. For example, in Dubai, the challenges of strong desert winds and sand storms are minimized by building skyscrapers that swing freely to withstand the winds. The windowpanes are made of thick glass that would not break amidst a sand storm.
Education in the United Arab Emirates society is another aspect of the society that inevitably has an impact on the economy through tourism. International higher education students impact tourism and the free economy positively. UAE has the most diverse population in the world, with Dubai having the highest number of immigrants in the world, schools are inevitably required to accommodate each person from different parts of the world (Authors, 2001). This encourages the country to adopt an international education system that shifts to the new western models of education that attracts people to study in the UAE. With international students comes global awareness that is spread, especially when students have trips and picnics. Education plays a vital role in the economy of the UAE and also on its tourism since the presence of the international education system is convenient even for families that would tour the UAE while ensuring that their children are schooling at the same time (Authors, 2001). It is like killing two birds with one stone, literally. To improve on this, member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) share a regional vision to make the Arab gulf the hub of world-class education by adopting the western model suitable for everyone rather than just producing thousands of Arabic graduates.
The cultural aspect of UAE society is also essential in attracting tourists. Despite the UAE’s rapid modernization, it is intriguing to see how the UAE still stays true to its local culture, religion, and traditions (Park & Reisinger, 2009). The fact that UAE embraces incomers and the changes they bring while upholding their own culture creates a cultural diversity that is so awakening for tourists. The traditional fabrics, boat rides to take the famous souk, the traditional foods, and cuisines in restaurants are just among other things that attract tourists to the UAE. In as much as it all looks perfect, some steps need to be taken to bolster this sector, ensuring gender equality and erasing prevailing laws like that preventing women from practicing certain cultural practices or receiving an education. Uae has been very different when it comes to this (Park & Reisinger, 2009). The establishment of the UAE Gender Balance Council will ensure gender equality in education and workforce that has seen women thrive in government, public sector, culture, and science.
In conclusion, the UAE has thrived since its independence from being a small fishing village to the discovering of oil that has made the extraordinary growth of the nation possible. With the innovation and the spirit of hard work that the Emirati, immigrants, and ex-pats who moved to this beautiful part of the world. The rise of the UAE is attributed to the innovativeness of their leaders who share visions of raising megastructures like the 7 star Burj Al Arab hotel, Burj Khalifa, the palm island, among others, that are number one tourist’s attraction sites in Dubai.
References
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