When people think about great melting pots, they usually just think of places like America, Australia, and parts of the UK or Europe. A hidden gem of ethnicity and culture that almost no one thinks about—Dubai. Once a sleepy stopover in the middle of a desert, Dubai is now its own cultural melting pot, which is part of what makes it such a sought-after tourist and travel destination.
Many people who live and work in Dubai enjoy meeting with and socializing with people from different cultures. Dubai—and the UAE in general—is a very open and accepting place, and even though some people may tend to stick with friends within their own cultural group, most people work together on mixed cultural teams when they are on the job. This helps open doors to understanding and communications, which could be why people in Dubai are so friendly and open to those who not only travel through, but those who choose to stay and eventually live, work, and settle in.
The cultural diversity of the city encourages and promotes interaction between people who may otherwise never even speak to one another, let alone get to know one another well enough to become friends. This is helpful not only to Dubai’s tourism industry, but it also works well in business, education, and many other employment sectors of the city. Many of the people who now live in Dubai are originally from other parts of the world, and though some of them may have come for an educational or work experience, they have chosen to stay because of the multi-cultural, diverse atmosphere of this beautiful desert melting pot.
Though it is still located in a Muslim area of the world, Dubai is one of the most open throughout the Arab world. Part of this openness is because of its multi-ethnic backgrounds, and even though there are still some religious restrictions, Dubai is far less restrictive than other Arab nations.
While the rest of the world comes to Dubai to play and relax, Dubai itself has absorbed and welcomed these newcomers with open arms and a sense of community and acceptance. For those who crave a rich cultural experience and want the best that the world has to offer right at their fingertips, they need travel no further than Dubai.
