Emiratis in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Emiratis in the United Kingdom are Emirati
Emirati people
Emirati people or people of the United Arab Emirates are citizens and an ethnic group who share their culture, descent and the Arabic variety of the United Arab Emirates...

 immigrants in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. They number several thousand and include many students pursuing higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

.

Demographics

At the time of the 2001 UK Census, there were 5,406 people of born in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

 (UAE) resident in the United Kingdom. In the 2009/10 academic year, around 400 new UAE students enrolled in various higher education institutions across the UK and the overall number of Emirati-domiciled students registered on higher education courses totalled over 2,800. This represents growth from 2005/2006, when the population numbered 2,000, which itself was an increase of 15 per cent on the previous academic year.
The UK continues to remain one of the top choices for overseas study amongst UAE nationals.

Community

Britain is one of the most popular destinations for UAE expats and is the most popular choice of Emirati students travelling overseas for their higher education. Language and cultural difficulties, living outside the "comfort zone" and the different weather conditions are reported to be perpetual difficulties for new Emirati students in the UK. The London branch of the Dubai National Bank
National Bank of Dubai
Emirates NBD, the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets, was formed on 16 October 2007 when the shares of Emirates NBD were officially listed on the Dubai Financial Market...

 is considered to be one of the central social venues for the capital's Emirati community.
Emirati students tend to retain certain cultural and religious practices when studying in the UK, especially during the holy month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...

. The Emiratis see Ramadan as a time during which they can fast and more frequently offer prayers. It is also a period of interaction, something they miss during their time in London.

Notable people

Notable Emirati expatriates in the UK include:
  • Mahdi Al Tajir
    Mahdi Al Tajir
    Mahdi Al Tajir is an Emirati businessman based in the United Kingdom. Al Tajir spends much of his time at his London home or at Keir House, his Perthshire estate...

     - Emirati businessman based in the UK

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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