The Irish People in Dubai
Dubai has experienced a high rate of Irish emigrants. According to the Irish Embassy, the number of Irish citizens migrating to Dubai has increased by 10%. The member state of the United Arab Emirates has attracted numerous Irish people due to diverse reasons. Primarily, the living standards within the country are very high, and the citizens acquire a tax-free income. There are numerous job opportunities that provide people adequate financial capability. The Irish people are also attracted to Dubai by its large population of young people. The development of the country is highly effective due to the contribution of the young people. Majority of the young people in the country have jobs that entail medium and high skills. In comparison to other countries, Dubai has a high rate of employment opportunities for the young people (Schulte, 2010). Majority of the young people acquire main skills that are required in fields such as education, finance, infrastructure, health, and finance. Moreover, the Irish people have developed a network that involves business professionals in Dubai. They support each other in order to survive the economic market. The members of the network have continually increased over the years. According to the leader of the network, majority of the members are the young people. These young Irish people migrate to Dubai in search of job opportunities, and they have eventually built their own companies. Therefore, the Irish people within Dubai maximize their opportunities of growing economically, and they facilitate the development of the country. Still, majority of the Irish people in Dubai are highly educated thus making it easier to acquire excellent jobs (Kelly, 2012).
On the other hand, the Irish emigrants also encounter challenges within the country especially in the work places. The Irish people that work as journalists profess that there is limited freedom of speech. They are limited to express their opinions freely within the country. The Irish emigrants also have to make an effort in learning the languages used in the United Arab Emirates, for example Arabic. Dubai has a constitution that has an article which protects the rights of citizens with regard to religious beliefs, race, social status, and nationality. However, the human rights activists state that working conditions of foreign people in Dubai are quite harsh. The Irish foreigners are not treated with adequate hospitality, and they experience numerous challenges (Christensen, 2011). The Irish emigrants move from their country to Dubai to work, and they do not see their families prolonged time. They are not allowed to leave their country to see their families, relatives, and friends easily. The international financial crisis highly affected the economy of Dubai thus the workers are paid insufficiently. The injustices within the United Arab Emirates harden the lives of the Irish emigrants. These foreigners are only capable of sending funds to their families in their countries.
Culturally, Dubai is an Islamic country that has a vibrant culture (Wilkins, 2006). The country also has a culture of traditional Arab. The Islamic religion and Arab culture have a great effect on the attire, cuisine, architecture, music, and the lifestyle of people. Majority of the citizens are Muslims who have a particular routine of conducting their prayers in Mosques that are all over in the country. These Muslims also have their own festivities that differ from other religions globally. The Irish emigrants have learnt to respect and embrace the Islamic culture and the traditional Arab of the Dubai citizens. They also enjoy the festivities that are conducted by the Muslims especially the Eid al Fitr that shows the end of Ramadan. The Irish emigrants also respect the Muslims religious way of fasting.
In Dubai, the traditional Arabic food is very common in the city especially in the small hotels and enormous restaurants. There are numerous restaurants that entice the Irish foreigners especially during the night time. Majority of the revelers are young Irish people that accumulate largely within the Irish bars. The Irish emigrants profess that it is important to respect the culture of citizens of Dubai. They have particular customs and laws that govern the people and the Irish foreigners respect them. Therefore, the Irish emigrants have embraced the Islamic and Arab culture in Dubai. Dubai is a country that experiences a hot desert climate. The summers have extreme temperatures. The summers are intensely hot, humid, and windy, but the nights have very low temperatures. The Irish emigrants experience challenges due to the intense heat within the country. Commonly, the days are usually hot throughout the year. The climate is usually very uncomfortable for majority of the Irish foreigners (Fouberg & Murphy, 2009).
Interviews
An interview with a 25 year old Jane D., who is an Irish woman living in Dubai.
Interviewer: How long have you been in Dubai?
Jane: I have lived in Dubai for two years now.
Interviewer: What is your greatest experience in Dubai?
Jane: The nightlife in Dubai is great because there are numerous bars and restaurants. There is also a huge Irish community that entertains huge crowds in the Irish bars.
Interviewer: What is your experience being a western woman living in a Muslim nation?
Jane: It is important to respect other people’s beliefs. The Islamic culture does not affect me negatively, and I actually enjoy the celebration of Ramadan.
Interviewer: Would you recommend Dubai for anyone thinking of relocating?
Jane: Dubai is a great country with numerous tourists’ attraction and there are nice people.
An interview with 30 year old Matthew Gable, who is an Irish man living in Dubai.
Interviewer: How long have you lived in Dubai?
Gamble: I have lived for more than two years.
Interviewer: Currently, what is your occupation?
Gamble: I work as a financial regulator in a firm.
Interviewer: What is your experience in the working place?
Gamble: My work is interesting. There are effective firms in the country that are diverse. Actually, I have gained intense experience in Dubai during the working period.
Interviewer: How would you describe your experience in the country?
Gamble: I adore the lifestyle in Dubai. There are numerous restaurants and bars that people attend especially during the night. I have also explored numerous areas in the United Arab Emirates, and there are many attractive sites.
Interviewer: How is the climate in Dubai?
Gamble: The days are usually very hot throughout the year. Therefore, one has to get used to the extreme temperatures especially during the summers.
Interviewer: Have you learnt about the culture and language in Dubai?
Gamble: I have not yet learnt Arabic yet, but I respect the Islamic religion in the country. I have learnt to appreciate their festivities.
Interviewer: Would you recommend Dubai to anyone as a visiting place?
Gamble: Absolutely, Dubai is a lovely country.
Therefore, Dubai is a highly developed country that has attracted numerous people especially for business purposes. There are numerous young people that have migrated to Dubai in search for job opportunities because they are numerous. The Irish people have also embraced the Arabic culture in Dubai. There are also many challenges, but people have endured them.