The big chat index

Does eavesdropping on tourists in the UAE offer a hint about global economic trends?

Eavesdropping on tourists could give early warning of economic performance. Photo: Razan Alzayani / The National

Economic troubles in Russia and Ukraine are being reflected in the languages overheard in the UAE

Parsing economic data via unconventional means has long been a goal for investors. One example is the Big Mac index invented by The Economist magazine in 1986 as a lighthearted guide to whether major currencies are under- or over-valued based on the price of the archetypal McDonald’s burger. Similar theories have been propounded using the prices of Apple iPods and even Ikea’s Billy bookcases.

Into this long but not always proud history, some could add an analysis of the languages heard on the streets, beaches and malls of the UAE because the presence of tourists is an indicator of the economic success of their countries of origin. As The National reported yesterday, Russian and Ukrainian will not be heard as often because the conflict between the two countries, once burgeoning markets for tourists, is affecting both economies. Five Russian travel agencies have closed since May.

On a distinctly unscientific anecdotal level, this language test has some appeal. As China’s economic growth leads to a bigger middle class, the frequency of Mandarin and Cantonese that can be overheard in places like Dubai Mall has increased. As many of the Eurozone economies suffered, fewer people from those countries came as tourists to the UAE. So there is now a good reason to eavesdrop, all in the name of research.