There are so many different cultures in the UAE you can’t help but graduate from here with a deeper knowledge of the world Pawan Singh / The National 
There are so many different cultures in the UAE you can’t help but graduate from here with a deeper knowledge of the world Pawan Singh / The National 

The discriminating job advert got me thinking



Moving abroad is not just about changing your postal address, it's about your personal identity, too. I have grappled with mine a lot in the seven years that I have lived in Abu Dhabi.

Not a day goes by when I am not asked where I come from, what languages I speak, what religion I follow, and what’s the deal with my repetitive name.

They’re are all good-natured inquires, of course, and all part and parcel of being an international citizen in a diverse population. Living in the UAE is sort of like being a college student. People from all corners of the globe are here but only for a set period of time. I have found that, as fertile as the experience is, you can’t help but graduate with a deeper knowledge of the world and how you fit into it.

Like most things in life, though, when things are taken to the extreme, problems can arise. I have come to see that when it comes to identity, the line between curiosity and discrimination can sometimes become blurred.

Take this week’s online job advertisement posted by an Al Ain Nursery, which called for “fair-skinned” applicants only. People reacted and the management was forced to defend its position. It stated that the request was made in response to frequent inquiries by parents about the ethnic background of its team, so it thought to employ what was largely acceptable to the masses.

While I disagree with the wording of this particular job advertisement for obvious reasons, I can sympathise with the nursery. I guess deep down, it is becoming a slave to the community and its preferences. What I have found heartwarming, though, is the far-reaching conversation that has ensued and the strong government response to this case.

But it’s worth remembering that not all biased behaviour can be tackled by way of legislation. The burden must also be carried by us, and we should continually examine the way we address and view each other.

I have been reflecting on this myself and would be lying to you if I said race didn’t play a part in my interactions here every day.

I find that the English language is a relatively worthless currency when shopping at Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, instead I find that when interacting with vendors and other consumers from the region, my fluency in Arabic helps me bag some real bargains, especially when it comes to top-notch kanduras. From a career point of view, I have also found that Arabic mixed with my Eritrean roots has been particularly helpful when it comes to interactions with elderly Arabs, allowing me great interviews in a safe and comfortable manner.

That being said, I have also seen and experienced what happens when people make assumptions. I do it and know I still have some work to do when it comes to tackling my own biases. You’d think I should have already learnt this by now, because I have also been on the receiving end when travelling across the Gulf and the wider Levant.

These experiences range from the relatively benign, such as being the occasional recipient of praise for “my good English”, to the more serious, like when I’m at passport control and asked where “my father comes from” (when I divulge my African heritage the mood often changes).

I have recently remedied this by opting to speak my very best English when travelling.

When it comes to the job market, I have seen how my friends from Sudan and Somalia have handled looking for jobs in the Gulf. They told me they never stated their ethnicity on their CVs and only answer the question when asked during an interview.

I believe that this way of thinking needs to be eradicated from the UAE and the Gulf in order to reap the benefits of its cosmopolitan population.

I am fortunate that my profession doesn’t focus so much on race – in reality, when it comes to journalism, our work speaks for itself and we’re compensated accordingly.

I’d say it’s this principle that needs to be the backbone for all UAE organisations and employees, and hopefully, we can all get to a stage where we can ask an organisation how competent their employees are as opposed to focusing on where they come from

________________________

Read more from Saeed:

What I learnt on Hajj: it’s no picnic, but then it was never meant to be

A ‘majaal’ moment as the buffer zone came to an end

Domestic workers who take care of our families and homes are 'silent heroes'

Part-time work in the UAE: What working at a video store when I was 15 taught me about life

________________________

The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')

Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')

Victims%20of%20the%202018%20Parkland%20school%20shooting
%3Cp%3EAlyssa%20Alhadeff%2C%2014%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EScott%20Beigel%2C%2035%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMartin%20Duque%2C%2014%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ENicholas%20Dworet%2C%2017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAaron%20Feis%2C%2037%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJaime%20Guttenberg%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EChris%20Hixon%2C%2049%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELuke%20Hoyer%2C%2015%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECara%20Loughran%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EGina%20Montalto%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJoaquin%20Oliver%2C%2017%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAlaina%20Petty%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMeadow%20Pollack%2C%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHelena%20Ramsay%2C%2017%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAlex%20Schachter%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECarmen%20Schentrup%2C%2016%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPeter%20Wang%2C%2015%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

Group D

Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Brief scoreline:

Crystal Palace 2

Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'

Huddersfield Town 0