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Neither Here Nor There: Mixed Identity and Belonging in the United Arab Emirates
Zahaf, Sarah
Zahaf, Sarah
Files
29.232-2025.06a Sarah Zahaf.pdf
Adobe PDF, 567.66 KB
- Embargoed until 2026-06-18
Description
A Master of Arts thesis in International Studies by Sarah Zahaf entitled, “Neither Here Nor There: Mixed Identity and Belonging in the United Arab Emirates”, submitted in April 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Neha Vora. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).
Abstract
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), mixed individuals are faced with the difficult task of navigating identity in a highly pluralistic, globally connected landscape. Considering that migrants constitute 88% of the UAE’s population, citizen and non-citizens residents both experience exposure to multiple cultures while trying to balance their heritage with new cultural influences. This is especially true in households with parents of different national, ethnic, or racial backgrounds, what I simply term mixed. This thesis examines how mixed young adults with dual or multiple cultural backgrounds in the UAE articulate their belonging and their sense of identity. Research on mixed backgrounds have highlighted a life of complexity, with individuals constantly facing both challenges and benefits of a multicultural background. Using narrative semi-structured interviews with a total of 34 people, this thesis explores how mixed young individuals in the UAE narrate evolving stories that blend Emirati, South Asian, Western, and many other influences in their lives; in so doing, it sheds light on the complex process of identity construction within the UAE.