Culture in the UAE

The UAE’s culture is rooted in the traditions of a nomadic, desert people. The tribe has been the principal building block of UAE society since successive waves of migration, beginning in the middle of the first millennium BC, brought Arab tribes to the region. The terrain which these tribes inhabited—desert, oasis, mountains and coast—dictated varied lifestyles but the common thread was the resourcefulness in managing the harsh environment. This was assisted by the social structure in which each family was traditionally bound by obligations of mutual assistance to his immediate relatives and to the tribe as a whole. Among the tribe an individual's selfless hospitality was the source of his honor and pride. A common religion, Islam, also has held the people together.