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Introduction
A sparsely populated desert region lacking even the most basic infrastructure, currently known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was one of the least developed localities in the world 50 years ago (Shihab, 2001; Nyarko, 2013). With very few roads, hospitals and schools, and very limited economic activity, the new nation and its indigenous people ranked poorly on almost all human development indices at the time of federation in 1971 (Nyarko, 2013). Over the next two generations, the fledgling state underwent one of the fastest transformations in history. Spurred on by the discovery and commercial exploitation of the world’s seventh largest oil reserve (OPEC, 2016; EIA, 2017) and guided by a stable, visionary government, the UAE leapt many of the typical stages associated with a developing nation and now boasts a high standard of living, with public services and amenities comparable to the developed world (Shihab, 2001). Recent decades have seen the government reduce the nation’s reliance on oil by successfully positioning the country as a trading hub and tourism destination. Cornerstone to this transformation includes Jebel Ali, which is now the world’s ninth busiest trading port and by far the largest in the Middle East (The Economist, 2015), and Dubai International Airport, which is the world’s busiest by international passengers, third busiest by overall passengers and sixth busiest by cargo traffic (Dubai Airports, 2017). Today, the city of Dubai boasts some of the world’s most iconic architecture including the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world), the Burj Al Arab (the world’s first seven-star hotel) and the Palm Jumeirah (a man-made palm-shaped island). With the second highest retail shopping centre density per capita in the world (Regiodata, 2012), Dubai now provides an abundance of shopping opportunities including the Dubai Mall, the world’s largest by total area (Construction Week, 2010), and the Dubai Shopping Festival, a month-long sale event billed as the largest shopping experience in the Middle East.
The purpose of this study is to examine how the dramatic transformation of the UAE has cultivated material values within the national population, thereby impacting Emirati society. Through the application of grounded theory on a wealth of qualitative data, our conceptualisation marries various theories, constructs and mechanisms relating to materialism...