Photo by Sara Alahbabi/The Gazelle

Etymologically speaking, the noun stereotype is the child of the Greek words stereos and typos, which mean solid and image, respectively. To stereotype is to fix or to solidify an image of an object or a subject. In its attempt to engineer a global community, NYU Abu Dhabi has tried to cultivate an environment in which a process of de-stereotyping can take place. Perplexingly enough, stereotyping of our host community of Emiratis persists. Why do these stereotypes exist? Why have they endured? And how can we move beyond these ideas?

I spoke to some Emiratis and non-Emiratis at NYUAD to talk about the perception and projection of stereotyping.

When I asked the students about some of the stereotypes that they thought others had of Emiratis, they replied: Emiratis ride camels to school, swim in money, and are spoiled, entitled and lazy. As absurd as these comments may sound, such ideas continue to circulate, or at least come to mind on the subject of Emiratis.

“I'm sure there are entitled and spoiled Emiratis out there; however, it's wrong to generalize and think all Emiratis are that way,” said Emirati senior Maitha Al Mansoori. “I've experienced many situations where people are actually surprised that I come to class, take notes and try to do my best when it comes to academics.”

Sophomore Emirati Maitha Almemari also agreed that regardless of the effort an Emirati puts into his or her work, they still get labeled with these negative images.

“The one theme that was always present in every question I was asked [by foreigners] was about the kind of privileges that we have,” said junior Nadine Ibrahim who lives in Abu Dhabi.

Additionally, some of the Emirati women I spoke to suggested that appearances are perceived as an obstacle to initiating conversations with Emirati students, especially female students.

“Appearance plays a role, like we wear abayas and sheilas maybe that can [seem to] be unapproachable sometimes, which I think should be completely discarded,” said Emirati senior Sara Alahbabi, whose visual arts capstone explores the topic of stereotyping.

This issue of simultaneous visibility and invisibility is salient in this respect. Traditional attire may give the impression of a monolithic group without accounting for the uniqueness of its members. For instance, a group of other nationals may spend most of their time together, however, this interaction does not stand out as prominently due to the lack of a national or a cultural marker like the abaya or the kandora. In contrast, seeing Emirati students spending time together impresses an image of a clique. The Emirati students I spoke to were both cognizant and understanding of this problem, and expressed optimism that such perceptions should not be a serious obstacle to engaging with members of the Emirati community.

“I believe that it is because [of] how little people know about the Middle East,” said Emirati freshman Mohammed Blooshi.

Similarly, in my conversation with Alahbabi, we touched on one of NYUAD’s graduation requirements, the successful completion of an Islamic Studies course. According to NYUAD’s website, “students are required to become familiar with the language, culture, or religion of the region in which the University is located.” However, while generous, this broad definition of the requirement is often fulfilled by any course with the word Arab in its description, without being directly related to the UAE. Emirati stereotypes are caused by oversimplifications where a number of issues are conflated; notions of Arabs, Muslims and Emiratis become interchangeable.

In hopes of bridging the gap of misunderstanding, Al Mansoori and other students lead a Student Interest Group, the UAE Club, which hosts weekly Sawalef Sunday meetings where students are invited to ask questions about various aspects of Emirati cultures in a safe and informal space.

Almemari stated that the UAE Club aims to burst the bubble of these stereotypes and to start conversations among students regarding this topic. In a similar vein, through her capstone project, Alahbabi hopes to start provocative conversations among both Emiratis and expats.