Emirati expats in social media

A new arena for involvement and political expression

Bibliographic Data

ID19001074
AuthorsHamdullah Baycar (0000-0002-8720-9995, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume31
Issue2
Pages238-256
Publication date2023-06-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueIdentities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1070-289X • E-ISSN: 1547-3384
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1070289x.2023.2228606
OpenAlexW4382242430
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited27

Citizens’ online participation has gained momentum from voting to activism. Citizens of the United Arab Emirates actively utilize social media platforms and online sphere to express themselves, despite the prevalence of state authoritarianism. This study, however, does not deal with citizens’ participation in political affairs via online mediums but, rather, focuses upon the migrants – or expats – who constitute the majority of the UAE population. Despite the impossibility of acquiring citizenship, migrants have found ways to conduct some kinds of acts and habitus of citizenship. This study is based on Emirati expats’ participation in social and political life via different mediums, mainly YouTube. With citizens’ collaboration, the expats are able to join debates about Emirati life and challenge the Gulf migrants’ rhetoric

Political science · Politics · Social media · Sociology · Computer Science · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Law · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts · Socioeconomic Development in MENA

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