Society

An in depth examination of the UAE social structure is out of place this late at night, I will post more on the subject later.
But I will say this,.,.

Socially, the country is split into a few large groups: The 3eemis, the Arabs, The balushis, and the mtjanseen.

3eemis tend to be educated and open-minded (varies from person to person). The basic definition of 3eemi in arabic is foriegner; Owing to the widely acknowledged fact that they originated from Iran. As a result, many 3eemis are considered very fair (colour - wise) in this land. Most 3eemis came from Iran as traders, but some Arabs, whom I will explain about shortly, are also considered 3eemi if they went to (and lived in) Iran for trading activities. Many prominent trading families here in the UAE are 3eemi.

Arabs, are usually the ones driving the culture of the UAE. The Sheikhs of the UAE (and their tribes) are considered to be Arabs. Before the oil boom, most Arabs where bedouins, living off the land (and the sea), and where divided into tribes. These tribes still exsist and dwell in the UAE. In the past, due to their nomadic lifestyles, Arabs werent really that educated, but due to modernisation, education is starting to be widely accepted among Arabs. The bedouin lifestyle is not totally obsolete though, many Arabs still hold bedouin values and traditions in the UAE.
The bedouin Arabs here usually have views that are in a western view will be both very comendable but a little backwards at the same time. For example, many bedouins are brutally honest in what they say, but sometimes brutal honesty is,.,. Brutal. Personally, I view a true bedouin friend one of the best a man could have, since they are a very loyal bunch.

Next up, are the balushis,.,. They are pretty much 3eemi, but with a twist. They are not as educated as the 3eemis, and originally come from Balochistan, a land between Pakistan and Iran .

Finally, the mtjanseen, are foreigners who have been given UAE passports, usually because they offered some great service to the country.

Now, the problem we are facing here in the UAE, is that every group thinks his is the best, causing serious rifts in the society.,.,. And the results of this train-of-thought are group-specific marriages, 3eemi families dont marry into arab families and vice versa, Balushi families stick to their own community, and mtjanseen are basically stuck with no one to marry (since they are so few).
I believe that this train of thought is destructive to the nation and to muslims as a whole. period.
Where is the logic in not letting your daughter marry a man whos familly is a little different than yours? Change should be embraced.
The problem is deeply racial in my view, and is a plague, a poison, and a darkness in this fair land.

I will discuss more about this later on, when im more awake :-)