Teaching Journalism In A Changing Islamic Nation

The UAE is a relatively young country. The seven emirates orkingdoms that constitute the UAE became a nation in December 1971 after gaining independence from the United Kingdom. The UAE occupies about 83,000 sq km – roughly four-fifths the size of Tasmania. Most of the population of about 2.4 million live in the cities, which have the same name as the individual emirates, because 97 per cent of the country is desert. The UAE is consequently forced to import most of its needs. Included in this population of 2.4 million are about 1.6 million from the Indian subcontinent (about 63 per cent) and another half a million Arabs from neighboring Gulf nations (about 20 per cent). Some commentators suggest that Emiratis or nationals represent less than 15 per cent of the population. It is difficult to know because these statistics are classified as a “state secret”. Nevertheless, a tiny core of nationals hold almost all the power and money (Badran 2001). An emir is a ruler of an extended family group. The UAE is based on the notion of a united group of Arab leaders and their families. Initially the country was intended to contai