Understanding the impact of cross-cultural friendships and residency status on multicultural attitudes: a UAE perspective

With 80% of the population comprising of expatriates, the UAE presents itself as a unique place to explore multicultural attitudes. This study examines how cross-cultural friendships and residency status impacts young adults' socio-cultural development and social cynicism levels in the UAE. Two surveys measuring socio-cultural development and social cynicism were administered to dual samples consisting of 155 and 166 young adults. It was found that: 1) both number of cross-cultural friends and residency status did not impact participants' socio-cultural development; 2) that only residency status, not cross-cultural friendships, had a significant effect on social cynicism. Short-term expatriates showed the least social cynicism levels compared to long-term expatriates and locals. The findings challenge the emphasis on diversity for development and also show that short-term expatriates feel welcomed and do not feel threatened by the host culture in the UAE. This study expands knowledge on the growth of sustainable cities.