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United Arab Emirates
In the past sixty years the UAE has undergone extreme change from being mostly desert land inhabited by Emirati nomadic camel herders to being a highly industrialized country; it is currently one of the most developed countries in the world. Prior to the first exports of oil in 1962, the U.A.E. economy was dominated by pearl production, fishing, agriculture, and herding. Since the rise of oil prices in 1973, however, petroleum has dominated the economy, accounting for most of its export earnings and providing significant opportunities for investment. In 2006, the U.A.E. produced approximately 2.8 million barrels of oil per day.
The art work that was done in the Abu Dhabi is representative of a culture that is in rapid transition. Many of the children’s art pieces are indicative of the sense of wanting to preserve traditional Emirati life and culture, which is based on family, community and Islamic religion. The pieces are also often fascinatingly imaginative and humorous; they include many high tech images and interesting architectural concepts through the eyes of a young girl living in the Emirates. For example, one art piece is of an underwater city and highway and another is of a high tech pencil that has many different gadgets and functions. The girl’s art is often reflective of the world they live in, in which they strive to preserve their strong cultural roots, but illustrate their vision of continuing forth in line with the national climate that is focused on rapid growth and innovation. The artwork is indicative of the sense of cultural preservation, transitory anxiety and future excitement alive in the UAE due to the immense changes people of the Emirates are experiencing.
The exchange gives children in Canada the opportunity to see through this art that some countries in the Middle East are not all war torn and, in fact, their art is a projection of a country whose history is relatively peaceful.
Abu Dhabi Artwork
The art work was done by Emirati girls and also girls living in the Emirates from other parts of the Middle East and various other countries. The UAE is a multicultural society with a large expatriate community living there.