With migrants making up 80 per cent of the population, the UAE is one of the most diverse nations in the world. The UAE is also home to a sizable black population (many Emiratis are of African ancestry) that are unfortunately often confronted with anti-black sentiments.
In light of the protests that have shook communities across the globe in recent week, following the murder of George Floyd in May, a long-overdue dialogue about racism in the Arab world has finally been opened.
As a region, we’re only just starting to unpack the racism in our communities, but along with signing petitions and vocally standing up as an ally – there is another way in which we can be actively anti-racist and show solidarity with our black communities: by choosing where we shop carefully.
Now is the time to shift our attention to empowering our local communities and buy from the many black-owned businesses in and round the UAE. These are the businesses you should be supporting.
