UAE culture

Founded in 1971 under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE brought together Gulf emirates formerly known as the Trucial States because of their treaty ties with Britain. Unique among the Gulf monarchies, its federal system shares power between the national government and seven emirates: each emirate’s ruler sits on the Federal Supreme Council, while each emirate retains authority over many local affairs. In little more than half a century, the country has built extensive education and healthcare systems, raised living standards and life expectancy, and developed into a high-income country and a major regional economic hub. Investment in schools, universities, and research institutions has been central to its national development and efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil. In Abu Dhabi, conference visitors can see the scale of that transformation while experiencing the Emirati traditions that continue to shape daily life.

Hospitality is one of those traditions. In the majlis, guests are welcomed with Arabic coffee and dates and invited to sit and talk. In a country where people from more than 200 nationalities live, the UAE has made openness, tolerance, and coexistence central to its public vision.

NYU Abu Dhabi offers an academic example of this spirit of exchange: its students come from more than 115 countries, and its faculty include scholars from around the world, many with deep ties to the Middle East and North Africa. As RC28 meets in the UAE for the first time, participants can experience the country firsthand and connect with colleagues based in the region. A society that has changed so quickly, and where most residents have arrived from elsewhere, is a natural place to take up this meeting’s theme: how inequality and mobility are reshaped in transition.