In Praise of Tolerance

About a month ago, I had the honour of meeting the ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) at function held at a law firm. The ambassador was on a mission to “sell” the UAE as an investment destination and as part of his presentation, he reminded the audience that this is the “Year of Tolerance” for the UAE.

I highlight this because “tolerance,” particularly when it comes those who are different from us, has been going out of fashion around the world. This is particularly true in parts of the world that used to pride themselves for having an abundance of tolerance. The Americans voted for Trump, the British voted for Brexit and here in Singapore, we’ve seen a growing intolerance against people from elsewhere, specifically proverbial darky professionals from other parts of Asia.

So, in this spirit, it’s very refreshing to have a country, based in a part of the world that is not known for having tolerance to be celebrating tolerance. The “Year of Tolerance” started off in February 2019 when the UAE became the first country in the Arabian Gulf to hosts a Papal Visit. Interestingly enough, in the preceding year, the UAE celebrated the “Year of Zayed,” which was the centenary of the founding President, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan, who was known among his people as an exceedingly generous spirit.

While one might inevitably question whether the “Year of Tolerance” is anything more than a PR exercise, I find it refurnishing that a country based in a region that is not known for its tolerance, is actually going out of its way to celebrate tolerance, particularly in an era where the countries famous for tolerance are rebelling against being tolerant.

Why is the UAE going against the trend against tolerance? If you take the position that all governments act in their self-interest, you could argue that the UAE’s government has understood that its self-interest lies in being tolerant and open to the world. The key players in the UAE’s political structure, namely the Sheikh’s of Abu Dhabi and Duabi (the two key Emirates) have understood that they need to prepare their nations for the post-hydrocarbon world and the only way to do so is to be open to the world and in turn, the world will only deal with tolerant societies.

The UAE has some advantages in this respect. Within the Federal Structure of the UAE, there is Dubai, the second largest and second most prosperous of the Emirates. In a region where the economy is dominated by hydrocarbons, Dubai has prospered without much by way of hydrocarbon resources. Dubai is in trade terms “wide-open for business,” and is able to be an example of what happens when you are open to the outside world and have tolerance.

The second advantage that the UAE’s Federal Structure provides, is a certain amount of experimentation for policies and Emirati citizens have the right to live in the places that suite their nature. If you want plenty of hustle and bustle, there is Dubai. If you prefer somewhere less “brash,” there is Abu Dhabi. If you want to live in a place with mountains, there is Ras Al Khaimah. There is a variety of cultures within the borders of the UAE and people have the choice of living in a place that allows them that suites their nature.

How does this help “tolerance?” If you work on the principle that our values are personal and what we will or will not tolerate is different. If you want tolerance and you want people to have tolerance, you cannot force it upon people. You have to allow people some sort of comfort. In this respect, larger countries have a certain advantage in that they have space to accommodate different preference. People can develop at the pace that’s comfortable for them.

The UAE’s economy remains dominated by the hydrocarbon sector. However, it has also become the most successful economy in the region to diversify its economy without traumatizing its more conservative citizens. While the international media primarily focuses of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the other Emirates have also managed to grow in this environment. In short, the rulers of the UAE have understood that tolerance is beneficial for society.

The UAE is right to celebrate tolerance and to grow it. While the UAE is by no means a perfect society, it has hit the nail on the head in its celebration of “The Year of Tolerance.” This is something that America under Trump would do well to remember. The parts of America that leads the world, namely on the West and East coast, have been able to be world leaders because they have tolerance and are open to the world.