The United Arab Emirates has a diverse
society. The
country's historical population as a small tribal community has been changed
with the arrival of other nationals — first by the Iranians in
1810, and later by Indians and Pakistanis in
the 1960s.
Emirati people are ethnically
diverse, with great ancestors from the Arabian
Peninsula, Iran, Baluchistan and East
Africa. Arab
descendants of the Bani Yas, Al Nahyan and Al Maktoum families
in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively, represent the Emirati leadership. Al Qawasim have
also played a vital role in the history of the United Arab Emirates. Some
Emiratis in Dubai are
of Persian ancestry. Emirati
culture is based on Arabian culture and has been heavily
influenced by Persian culture. Arabian and Persianinspired architecture is
part of the expression of the local Emirati identity. Persian
influence on Emirati culture is noticeably visible in traditional Emirati
architecture and folk arts. For
example, the "barjeel" has become an identifying mark of traditional
Emirati architecture and is attributed to Persian influence. Certain folk
dances, such as "al-habban", are originally Persian. Local
Emirati culture has also been influenced by the cultures of East Africa and India.
Dubai has
been criticized for perpetuating a class-based society, where migrant
workers are in the lower
classes. Despite
the diversity of the population, only minor and infrequent episodes of ethnic
tensions, primarily between expatriates, have been reported in the city.
Major holidays in Dubai include Eid
ul-Fitr, which marks the end ofRamadan, and National Day (2 December),
which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirateas.
The influence of Islamic, Persian and Arabian culture on its architecture, music, attire, cuisine, and lifestyle are very prominent as well.
Five times every day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques, which
are scattered around the country. The
weekend begins on Friday due to Friday being the holiest day for Muslims.
Most Muslim countries have a
Friday-Saturday or Thursday-Friday weekend.
Literature and poetry
The main themes in Emirati poetry for Arab poets range from satire, chivalry, self-praise, patriotism, religion, family, and love, and could range from descriptive to narrative.
Poetry in the United Arab Emirates has a great influence on culture, being an Arab country in the Persian Gulf where poetry has been part of since the dawn of time. The style and form of ancient poetry in the UAE was strongly influenced by the 8th-century Arab scholar, Al Khalil bin Ahmed. This form underwent slight modification (Al Muwashahat) during the period of Islamic civilization in Andalucia (Spain), where "the line or bait adhered to the two hemistitches form, each with an equal number of feet, all the second hemistitches ending in the same rhyming letter and sound throughout the poem". The indigenous Arabic poetry form, however, was not spared from western influence; sometime in the 20th century, prose poetry started to make their way into the local literary scene.
Ibn Majid, who was born between 1432 and 1437 in Ras Al Khaimah was an iconic poet. Coming from a family of successful sailors, Ibn Majid has a total of 40 surviving compositions, 39 of which are verses.
The greatest luminaries in the UAE literary realm during the 20th century, particularly for Classical Arabic poetry, were Mubarak Al Oqaili (1880–1954), Salem bin Ali al Owais (1887–1959), and Ahmed bin Sulayem (1905–1976). Three other poets from Sharjah, known as the Hirah group, also thrived during the 20th century including Khalfan Musabah(1923–1946), Sheikh Saqr Al Qasimi (1925–1993), an ex-ruler of Sharjah, and Sultan bin Ali al Owais (1925–2000). The Hirah group's works are observed to have been heavily influenced by the Apollo and romantic poets.
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