framework for the implementation of a virtual design studio model in ...

The UAE encountered a rapid growth in the construction industry due to
the country‟s spending on the physical infrastructure and the desire to
build a high standard of living for its nationals. This growth, due to the
lack of experienced national workforce, required great dependency on
expatriate workforce. This resulted in a challenge facing the UAE to
prepare a national workforce that is as skilled and knowledgeable as the
expatriates‟ counterpart. The UAE „Vision 2021‟ encouraged this
strategy to reduce the dependency on oil as the main source of
income. 105
2.6.3 Social Status
Prior the discovery of oil the UAE society depended mainly on simple
trades like pearl diving and fishing, consequently the UAE nationals
lacked high skills and knowledge which in turn resulted in high
dependency on expatriate workforce. The increased number of
expatriates is one of the UAE‟s most obvious features in terms of social
status. The UAE society is divided into two main categories: the
nationals (al muwateneen) and the expatriates (al wafedeen) where the
nationals count to 20% of the total population of the UAE. 106 The
multiculturalism in the UAE made the people tolerant to change and to
new traditions and customs with keeping their own identity. The
development of the welfare benefits had been impressive in the UAE
offering facilities that covers the citizen from birth to death, a facility that
has been described by socialists as womb to tomb 107 . These facilities
include high standard health care, education, allowances and housing.
2.6.4 Technological Status
The UAE has a technological friendly environment. In the year 2004 the
UAE was ranked as one of the most advanced countries in internet use
with a number of 1.25 million internet user, 31% of the population. 108
105
Dubai Media Foundation, (2010), UAE local news, Sama Dubai T.V. aired 16:30pm on 17.2.2010.
106
Abdullah M. (2007). op.cit. p160.
107
Al-Ali, J. (2008). op.cit. pp365-379
108
Vodanovich, S., Urquhart, C., Shakir, M. (2010). ‘Same but different: understanding women’s
experience of ICT in the UAE’. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries. 40
(4). p1-21.
44