Abu Dhabi’s Controversial Purchase
The Economist reported on a controversial Abu Dhabi purchase of a culturally opposing enterprise, the Manchester City Football Club. It may have been expected had flashy Dubai acquired the club, since Abu Dhabi is considered more regal, “elegant, restrained and a little bit aloof.” After all, it is the capitol and most wealthy of the seven Emirates.
The cultural clash in this story shows how family ties are important in the UAE. The decision-maker for the purchase is a member of the Bani Fatima, a group of the current ruler’s half-siblings (Sheikh Kalifa is ruler of the Emirates). The fact that the Bani Fatima have gained power to spend the ruling family’s wealth on generally unaccepted purchases has made the situation awkward for both Sheikh Kalifa and the rest of society (who question their national culture). In other words, power has visibly shifted, albeit silently.
In the Emirates, the family is the basis of an individual’s identity and social structure. It includes the nuclear family, immediate relatives and often distant relatives. Loyalty to the family comes before all other relationships and commitments, even business (in this case, loyalty has been somewhat neglected). Nepotism is viewed positively, since it guarantees that one hires people who can be trusted, which is crucial in a country where value is placed on working with people who one knows and trusts. Hierarchy is another pillar of society in the UAE. This case clearly shows that deference to Sheikh Kalifa and his title has been blindsided.
The less traditional tendencies of those who bought the football club have made life uncomfortable for those in charge of maintaining and defining cultural and societal values (which in the UAE are changing rapidly).
