Witnessing & Reacting to the Fast Development of the UAE

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By Moadh Bukhash (@MoadhBukhash)

There is no question that the UAE, the place that many of us call home, has witnessed significant changes to say the least. What many of you and I experienced growing up a mere decade or two ago is a far different place than we see now. The country we live in has gone from a number of towns to the cities we see today. Again, there is no question that with fast pace development come social and cultural hurdles, whether positive or negative. Those that live in that fast pace change can be a subject of interest to anyone witnessing it. My take on it is that I have witnessed three types of characters in these times of change: some that follow suit without much of a bother, others that use it as a platform for change and development, and some that reject the change and flip over to denying or opposing it.

The Mind's Eye — Illustration by Mariam ARMS

In the face of it all, a considerable number of people glide by, almost without a care in the world. Only affected by the day-to-day annoyances or mild forms of agitation, they do not ask the big questions and in turn do not immerse themselves in the big stresses. In some instances, looking at the world around us, I envy that way of life. It is surely a blissful ignorance, one might wonder if that is the way things should be, scot-free and without a relative care.

Another bunch are instinctive opportunistic, for good or bad, for justice or otherwise, a certain type of people see change as a chance. A chance to drive an idea, a concept, or an ambition; these people find it within themselves to dedicate everything around them towards that goal. It is those people that we admire most, people that chase a vision simply because they believed in it whole heartedly. Not many of us can truly say we dedicate everything to a single thought; we mostly juggle things we would like to do with things that we have to do. Whether you agree or disagree with their opinions, you cannot help but respect them.

Some, unfortunately, are either afraid or threatened by the change. That fear drives them to reject the change and manifest into negativity. Sadly, not much good can come from such an attitude. But a realist cannot deny that these people pose an honest enough impact on the path that the change takes. While it is important for a person to be skeptic, pessimism stands a short step away from it.

To be perfectly honest, I did not mention a small category at the beginning of the article and there are perhaps other categories that my humble observation did not catch. However, this fourth category is one that I am proud of witnessing. A new wave of good willed, balanced, positively driven individuals have come through; that want nothing more than good for themselves, those around them, and the greater good. Armed with both intelligence and strong ethic, these are the thought leaders that will make the most positive impact, bringing together all parts of society to drive through positive change.