Thesis Book - Seeds of Hope

4.4 UAE: A
Small World
The largest expat population in the UAE is Indians
(2.75 million) followed by Pakistanis (1.27 million).
Bangladeshis are at 0.74 million, Philipinos are at 0.56 million
and Iranians are at 0.48 million (United Arab Emirates
Population Report 2022). The various nationalities residing
in the UAE is important as my project is intended to not only
preserve the culture, identity and the heritage of Afghanistan
but also connect people of different nationalities. Over many
centuries, the culture of Afghanistan had been influenced by
its neighboring countries and the Middle East region. This
influence of other cultures can be seen in Afghan’s language,
music, architecture, hospitality and much more which will
help people from different countries to explore Afghan culture
and discover similarities between their own culture and
experience. For example, countries like Iran, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan have similarities with Afghanistan’s architecture,
culture and language. Therefore, I have decided to choose a
site in the UAE for not only its population but also because
of how many different nationalities are located in the UAE.
Fig 31
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