Critical Research
Introduction
The documentary by Femme Vision “Moving to the Arabian magic: Crossing cultures” delves deep into why women migrate to Dubai and the methods in which this migration experience impacts their life. It is an in-depth documentary which includes the personal stories of females from different backgrounds who migrated to Dubai. It includes engaging interviews which are aimed to comprehend the motivations, barriers and achievement in constructing a life in this luxurious city. This critical analysis report includes a critical perspective on the documentary, starting from the demographics and cultural diversity in Dubai, safety for Women in Dubai, analysis of the different themes of the documentary and lastly, its relevance for the global audience. It will include statistics and sources to explore the importance of the documentary and how it could have been improved, what areas were missing and what could have been avoided.
Demographics and Cultural Diversity in Dubai
According to Khaleej times, (2024) The United Arab Emirates has experienced a huge amount of influx from foreign workers over the last 3 1⁄2 years. This is because of the incredible macro-economic growth which Dubai has witnessed over different sectors. This has also been reflected in the population of Dubai which increased by around 300,000 from 3.4 million in 2021 to 3.7 million in 2024 June (Government of Dubai, 2024). This migration is driven by individuals coming to the UAE for a better lifestyle. The documentary presents us with some facts such as that there are around 200 different nationalities who reside in Dubai. Out of which 1111120 visuals are women in 2022 (Government of Dubai, 2024). This is around 31.30% of the entire population. Within this also the highest percentage of females in Dubai have an age of around 30 to 34 (Government of Dubai, 2024).
The Dubai government also passed law number 2 in 2014 and a resolution number 43 of 2018 which was aimed to make sure that there are equal opportunities and rights for people with disabilities and also promoting inclusion including gender equality (Khaleej times, 2023). As a result of this according to the Embassy of the UAE Washington DC, (2024) the woman's participation in the UAE has grown immensely reaching 2/3 of the public sector jobs in the UAE with 15% in technical roles, 15% in academic roles and 30% in leadership roles. Also, it has been found that women have also been participating in 20% of the diplomatic corps with seven Emirati women being appointed as a console’s general and ambassadors (Embassy of the UAE Washington DC, 2024).
This growth is also because of Dubai being the leading global hub for talent attraction. According to the report in future of financial services talent by DIFC or Dubai International Financial Centre, it has been found that there is a paradigm shift in the priorities of the employees which is mainly towards emphasising on work life balance, well-being and not only focusing on financial benefits but rather of other non-financial benefits also (Zawya, 2024). This is attracting talents from across 200 different nationalities who are actively searching for purpose, fulfilment and value in their daily lives (Zawya, 2024).
Dubai is considered to be a hub for international culture, tourism and business which attracts worldwide interest. There have been many videos and documentaries about life in Dubai which have performed exceptionally well in streaming services like YouTube which shows a high demand for content which is related to Dubai.
Safety for Women in Dubai
According to the ruler of Dubai and also the vice president and Prime Minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the UAE is the safest where women can walk around at midnight and not fear for their safety (Khaleej times, 2024). Dubai has been ranked the safest city in the world several times with 95% of the residents of the country accepting that they feel safe walking alone at midnight according to a report of a Gallup’s 2021 global law and order report (Khaleej times, 2024). The city is safe to walk alone at night and safety is a boon to the residents in the city. Security in Dubai means to have a happy life with calmness. Thus, if a woman can walk alone at day or at any late hours with no fear, one can know that she/he is in the UAE. This is also because UAE has been ranked second in the global law and order index with a score of 93 which is just behind that of Norway who tops the list with 94 (Khaleej times, 2024).
Some of the recent statistics by the Government of Dubai, (2024) show that per 100,000 individuals, Dubai has reported only .2% of wilful murder in 2023, 1.7% of aggravated assault in 2023, 0.3% cases of rape in 2023 while was lower in 2017 with .2%. However, the
overall crime rates in Dubai have significantly dropped from 2017 at a rate of 36.4% which has dropped down to 24.6% in 2023.
This is because of these strict laws against such crimes established by the UAE. In the UAE, there are different punishments for such crimes including capital punishments for extreme crimes such as rape a full stop any sexual assaults are also extremely punished in Dubai which can often lead to death sentence is as well. According to the Penal Code of UAE, the criminal is subject to two capital punishments which often include death sentences (Lexology, 2024). These are often critical in cases of four sexual assaults towards minors in which case, the accused is deemed to be life imprisonment or death sentence immediately. While also considering the false accusations which are increasing in today’s times given the severity of the issue, and the benefit of doubt given to the woman. In such cases if any falls allegations of sexual assault or rape are found, the accused will have to serve a sentence or a fine.
Analysis of Themes of Documentary
According to one of the stories of Emma Burdett , a young career woman in the UK faced bullying, and was left out and fired because of gender biasness. She is now currently one of the hundreds of female business leaders in Dubai who has been welcomed by the ministry of economy to at least allocate one seat for a woman on private joint stock companies the board of directors (Khaleej times, 2024). According to her, women are under-represented at the top management levels and the board of directors on a global scale. In Dubai, only 11% of the women are in leadership or top management positions while Saudi Arabia has only 2% (Khaleej times, 2024). However, studies have proven that statistically more females in top level leadership result in better profits in the business (Ali et al. 2021). Also there have been research and findings which stated that gender inclusive or diverse companies are more likely to outperform their competitors and grow by 26% more than them when it comes to profitability. Khaleej Times conducted a WhatsApp poll where 2500 people in Dubai voted against the move and said that positions should be based on not gender bias but rather based on merit (Khaleej times, 2024). One of the best examples of this is given by Vasudha Khandeparkar who stated that the issue is not that women do not want to be evaluated on the basis of merit but they are demanding for the opportunity to be invited to the table so that they can prove their merit (Khaleej times, 2024).
According to a study, 17% of females in the UAE deal with postpartum depression without having a past history of the same (Khaleej times, 2024). Some studies have shown that the numbers can be much more because of the stigma around mental health and under reporting (Barbato et al. 2021). The stigma behind this is also associated with limited access to mental health, cultural stigma and lack of awareness. The point behind making this statistic is that while the working woman contribution in Dubai has been increasing and it is found to be extremely safe being the safest city in the world for women, the mental health of the females needs to be evaluated considering the cultural stigmas.
Relevance to Global Audience
The crossing cultures are in deep connection with the global migration trends which have seen a huge number of individuals who have relocated to Dubai. This presents some incredible personal journeys which are kind of connected to the entire world. In this rising world economy where individuals in one corner of the world can connect to that of the other corner, migration has become one of the key factors of social and economic transformation (Khaleej times, 2024). Since the documentary sheds light on the life experiences of women working in Dubai. By emphasising on women, it highlights the unique challenges as well as the motivations which they contribute and overcome to improve the understanding of gendered migration. While the documentary has a strong appeal towards women particularly those who want to consume any content with inspiration and empowerment for their professional as well as personal growth. It also can be beneficial for the young professionals and students who are exploring opportunities in Dubai, the cosmopolitan hub of the world (Khaleej times, 2024). This is because the young professionals and students can gain a practical approach and perspective on the challenges and the rewards of the migration. There are many young individuals who aspire to have a lifestyle in Dubai. And for those potential expatriates, the documentary serves as a mirror and for their experiences in the future. The documentary not only highlights the glamorous lifestyle of Dubai but also presents a realistic perspective with the challenges and fostering a sense of community and connection (Khaleej times, 2024). For individuals in global industries and sectors, the documentary presents the insights for workforce contributions and cultural integration. These insights are extremely valuable for them in order to choose their decisions effectively.
Also moving past these individual stories, the documentary also is relatable with the global themes of cultural exchange and empowerment with the real perspectives and opinions of migration (Khaleej times, 2024). It presents the reality of Dubai as a model of opportunity
and inclusivity which not only addresses the questions of the hour about belongingness, resilience and identity. To do so the documentary has presented with a compelling narrative which presents a border for the audience and perspective for the audience to think about the power of migration.
Conclusion
Overall, from the critical analysis above, it can be highlighted that Dubai has been one of the safest cities and a cosmopolitan hub before the world. It also has some challenges with the and cultural stigma around gender equality and more. However, according to the government, rules and regulations are extremely strict towards gender equality, safety and security of the individual. The documentary highlights for both the perspectives which include the benefits and the attraction which pulls the woman in Dubai such as the safety and security of women roaming freely at night. However, it also presents the challenges which the women face except especially in terms of the positions in companies at a top-level management area, where women lack. However, there is a possibility of improvement which Dubai government is currently focusing on.
References
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