The Development of Social Media in the UAE

The Development of Social Media in the UAE
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The Development of Social Media in the UAE
Just like in other nations, social media in the UAE plays a critical role in driving all aspects of life ranging from socialization to business. However, the growth of social media was not a spontaneous process but rather a gradual one which was aided mainly by the growing population and economy. As a result, the media size in the country has continued to grow, and social media is an integral part of this development.
History of the Social Media in the UAE
Over the years, the UAE has mostly been recognized for its intensive economic growth majorly aided by natural resources, trade, and tourism. While the media plays a critical role in this respect, social media was largely treated as a “Western phenomenon.” Notably, the fact that all the content on Facebook was generated exclusively in English made early penetration impossible. Instead, the authorities intensified in enhancing other modes of communication such as radio, TV, and newspapers customized in Arabic. However, as the population demographics gradually changed into the 2000s, there was a realization that social media was necessary for spurring further social and economic growth.
In 2009, the Arabic Facebook was launched and proved to be a major game changer in the history of social media in the UAE (Klischewski, 2014). Essentially, the number of Facebook users in the country increased, and the penetration rate also rose to 67%.

Due to the influx of foreigners who constitute a fair share of the UAE population, social media became a significant tool for interaction and the achievement of common goals in trade. After 2009, social media growth was also aided by the growth of English as the second most dominant language (after Arabic). People realized that they could use social media to advertise and boost the performance of their enterprises.
In 2011, social media in the MENA came under intense scrutiny following some uprisings in the region, especially Egypt. Social media was blamed for aiding the organization of the political protests that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak (Al-Jenaibi, 2014). This impact would be felt in the UAE. In a move to cap the use of social media, the government introduced some regulations aimed at preventing online politicking and incitement against the government. However, because of political stability, the popularity of social media has not been diminished. Today, social media is a vital tool for trade and economic growth.
Statistical Information about UAE Traditional and Social Media
While the traditional forms of communication such as TV, radio, and print retain a significant following in UAE, social media has taken the society by storm. According to Reyaee & Ahmed (2015), the upsurge in Internet coverage in the country has laid the foundation for the rise of social media popularity. Consequently, UAE ranks 4th in the Internet usage index in the Gulf region with a score of 70%. In the same context, social media preference to traditional media has jumped from paltry 2.7% in 2011 to 11.7% in 2015 (Reyaee & Ahmed, 2015). This change of fortune is attributed to instant retrieval of information in social media as compared to traditional forms. Additionally, although conventional media enjoys a more significant share of the market (67%) the rate at which social media is gaining ground (2% annually) is indicative of the shifting ground to the disadvantage of the former.
According to the Arab Media Outlook (2015), the UAE has also made significant strides in terms of the number of people who agree that social media supports free expression. In a 2015 survey, only 61% of the total population in the country agree that social media has increased space for self-expression on social and political issues. Twitter usage has also increased in the same period to 23.8% in 2015 (Reyaee & Ahmed, 2015) while Facebook consolidates its lead with 82%. On the other hand, the traditional forms of media have continued to experience mixed fortunes on the growth scale. The gap between the average time spent on traditional and social media in the UAE has continued to widen. While users spend at least 7.5 hours on social media on a daily basis, traditional media claims around 2.5 hours.
Uses of the Social Media Tools in UAE 
The leading social media tools in the UAE are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These tools are used at the individual, institutional and government levels to enhance communication as the basis for other equally essential aspects like a business. Primarily, the social media tools are used for interaction and social networking (Mouakket, 2015). In a diversified society as the UAE, people depend on social media to establish social connections which are essential for the achievement of various goals. Additionally, LinkedIn is used in building professional connections through profile sharing. Prospective employees and employers use this tool to interact and initiate cooperation where possible. A complete personal profile gives recruiters a valuable tool for measuring one’s capabilities before face-to-face interaction.
Social media tools are also a useful source of news for the UAE population. More often, people take to Facebook or Twitter to look for news updates from within and beyond the country (Mouakket, 2015). News spreads faster on social media than through the traditional channels such as radio and newspapers. On the other hand, users can interact and learn from people in distant locations about issues that cannot be covered in the traditional media. Social media tools also play a crucial role in business/marketing. Business is the core driver of the UAE economy. With more enterprises coming up on a daily basis, social media offers a viable tool for advertising and marketing. Facebook is one of the most efficient tools in personalized marketing in the UAE (Darwish, 2017). Through it, marketers can make their products more visible to the market as a way of gaining competitive advantage.
Social media tools in the UAE are also used by the government to interact with the citizens and offer a host of services (Darwish, 2017). Specifically, the UAE government has created portals on social media through which they communicate policies while also according the citizens access to government services. Labeled “social media e-government,” the government uses this approach to keep touch with the needs of the people and responding more transparently. This also abets mutual communication which is the epitome of further collaboration for socio-economic growth. On the other hand, such initiatives present the government with cost-effective and real-time tools to push its agenda (Darwish, 2017). Social media tools such as YouTube also play a significant part in the education system in the UAE. Social media partly aids assistive technology which refers to a set of tech-based approaches to learning. Educators use YouTube videos to teach new concepts while students can also use them for further learning and research.
Struggles of the Social Media in the UAE Society
Statistically, social media has gained a stronger foothold in the UAE since the entry of Facebook in 2009. However, the journey has also faced some struggles. One of the sources of these challenges is stringent government regulation. After social media was blamed for the organization of the Arab uprising which began in Egypt, the UAE government moved in to avert a similar situation (Ali, & Fahmy, 2013). The Internet Access Management policy in collaboration with the National Media Council (NMC) closely monitors usage to ensure there is strict recognition of the eligibility of the government of the day. Thus, users rarely express their political opinion for fear of backlash.
Another typical challenge of social media in the society is privacy and security. The growing threat of privacy infiltration, identity theft and cyberbullying is also felt in the UAE. Even in the presence of government regulation and monitoring to curb the threat of insecurity, social media users in the UAE have to contend with cases of privacy violation and online fraud (Ali, & Fahmy, 2013). On the other hand, social media is opening loopholes for misuse through the posting of inappropriate texts and images which pervert the cultural and religious values of the dominant Islamic religion. Another potential struggle in the UAE context is a language barrier. As noted above, the birth of Arabic Facebook in 2009 solved the challenge of the language barrier. However, as the society has become more diversified, many natives are finding it hard to transition into the universal version, and this is inhibiting multi-cultural networking.
Discussion about Latest Scholars’ Publications Related to Social Media in the UAE
Away from the mounting impact of social media in the UAE, much of the current debate revolves around user freedom. According to Lenze (2017), although the strict regulations by the government are indispensable, it is limiting the essence of social networking sites as personalized platforms for expression. Prompted by the Arab Spring, the current laws are less supportive of political expression which ought to be a hallmark of a civilized society as the UAE. While the proponents of such measures argue that the political set-up in the UAE is transparent and accountable, social media should have its space intact. However, users should express equal restraint and responsibility in social media usage.
There has also been the intense focus on how social media is transforming the UAE in terms of business management and operations as a frontier for economic growth. From recruitment to marketing, social media offers organizations with a much-needed tool for evaluation and improvement (Salloum et al., 2017). Social media enables organizations to monitor the market (through social media research) and crafting ways of responding to the needy areas. It also gives them a platform to interact closely with the market for better understanding and cooperation. In the same context, public administration in the UAE has also been boosted by social media. Government agencies can deliver services faster and efficiently through a cost-effective platform (Darwish, 2017). This also enhances operations across other sectors such as health, education, and trade which combine to give rise to a prosperous nation.
Question 2
Compare between social and traditional media in the UAE
While social media continues to take the UAE by storm, this does not supersede the place and importance of traditional media. New media has gained a significant following, but, the latter still has an important role to play. During the Annual Social Media Summit of 2016, there was a unanimous agreement among the participants that there is an urgent need for a balance between the two as they complement one another to have an impact on the society (Lenze, 2017). Social media thrives on speed, but this can contribute to a breach of credibility; a valuable feature of news. Historically, the two platforms have had different fortunes and undergone distinct transformations which shape their present.
A Comparison of the History of Both Media
Traditional media in the UAE made its maiden entry in 1966 with the launch of the Abu Dhabi Radio. Three years later, further progress was made with the launch of the Abu Dhabi Radio Station. Although the constituent Emirates remained under Britain before independence in 1971, mass media suffered from high illiteracy levels and inadequate infrastructure. Consequently, the UAE had to utilize the meager resources at their disposal while also depending on newspaper printing and supply from Lebanon. In 1970, Al-Khalij, a daily publication was established. After independence in 1971, media development was boosted by the merger of the seven Emirates. There were more resources and stronger policies to enhance the media. On the other hand, the history of social media in the UAE dates back to 1995 when Etisalat extended internet supply to individuals, schools, and businesses (Karake-Shalhoub & Al Qasimi, 2007). By the time Facebook made its entry in 2009, the number of users had grown and this aided further growth. Thus, traditional media made an earlier entry than social media in the UAE.
Another hallmark of the development of traditional media in the UAE is regulation. After independence and the increase in a number of media outlets, the government introduced media laws to regulate the various organizations. They were also meant to help the government sell its development-oriented agenda to build a stronger nation socially and economically. Additionally, the laws would preserve the interests of the media and the citizens by outlining the key guiding values in content generation and dissemination (Karake-Shalhoub & Al Qasimi, 2007). On the other hand, when the Internet was first launched in the UAE, the resultant buzz sparked further progress in terms of regulation to pave the way for more social media platforms such as Facebook. In 2003, the government established the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to promote usage. Part of the mandate of TRA was to regulate content so that all the users generate and access content which is in line with societal morals and values (Alqudsi-ghabra et al., 2011). In both cases, it is conclusive that the progress made in history is attributable to the government intervention through policy making and investment.
The rate at which social and traditional media have impacted the society is contrasting. Infrastructural challenges restrained the development of traditional media. This can be cited in the fact that it took around 5 years after the establishment of radio to have a functional newspaper publication system. The slow pace meant that the impact was minimal as the two media were primarily used to facilitate the spread of news (Alqudsi-ghabra et al., 2011). However, after independence, traditional media has grown at a faster rate. On the other hand, social media became an instant hit after 2009 when Facebook invented an Arabic version. Boosted by the upsurge in internet penetration, social media has had a more significant impact than traditional media in the short period it has been around. According to Alqudsi-ghabra et al. (2011), more than 90 out of every 100 people have access to the internet. Consequently, the country ranks 26th among the most networked nations in the globe. However, the government remains committed to investing in both social and traditional media to achieve a balance that will increase the underlying benefits.
Media Purposes in UAE
Both social and traditional platforms retain the common denominator “media” as a demonstration of their overall purpose of facilitating the spread of information (news). Historically, traditional media was mostly established to enable communication among citizens (Reyaee & Ahmed, 2015). Through radio, TV, and print, the society would be served with a wide array of information that directly affects their lives. The news is the epitome of any functional society as it informs, entertains and educates the audience. Similarly, social media plays the same roles although the organization is quite different. Social media abets networking at individual and organizational levels and opens up the user to knowledge (Reyaee & Ahmed, 2015). Today, most of the news is broken on social media through citizen journalism. In the end, regardless of the source of information, the news has the same impact on the society in line with the common purposes informing, educating as well as entertainment.
There is a slight difference in the purposes of the media in the UAE in terms of the impact. The conventional means of communication strictly adhere to the core values of the society. This defines how information is obtained, structured and relayed to the audience. Consequently, the effect felt on the other end reinforces the public’s perception of the importance of morals as the foundation for national development. In other words, traditional media thrives on fulfilling the needs of the society rather than individuals. On the other hand, social media does not exercise the same attention to the traditions and beliefs that define the community (Ali & Fahmy, 2013). Since social media is accessible through personalized gadgets, it is mainly used to achieve individual goals such entertainment and socialization. As a result, the impact felt on the audience is representative of a smaller segment of the larger set-up. Other common purposes in both cases include advertising and marketing. Both traditional and social media are used by organizations to reach out to the customers so that they can sell their products or services.
Latest Scholars’ Publications
Across the world, it is evident that social media is a breakthrough in communication and other important aspects that constitute a modern society. It is agreeable that the future of both forms of media depends on how new media is supported to evolve without infringing on the fundamental standards set by the former. In Hashem et al. (2017), the authors reiterate that as social media gains momentum on a daily basis, stakeholders should direct more effort towards policy-making so that it operates in line with the basic values safeguarding the entire scope of journalism such as credibility. Based on the current statistics, the society will benefit more from social media if certain aspects such citizen journalism is regulated rather than being condemned. Salloum et al. (2017) highlight the importance of regulation to make social media applicable across learning and business processes. Whereas social media primarily targets personal interests, it remains an integral part of 21st-century communication with the ability to transform education and corporate communication. Thus, it is obligatory for the government, citizens and other organizations to forge a common way of enhancing the role of social media in the society by dealing with the outstanding shortfalls.
In another publication, Baniyassen (2017) talks about how the media environment in the UAE has changed despite the challenges occasioned by the need to accommodate traditional and social media. Buoyed by the diversity of the population, the local media network should embrace the integration of such platforms to form a large digital system with the capacity to meet the demand for quality and transformative news (Baniyassen, 2017). On the other hand, social media is highlighted in the context of how it can accelerate industrial innovation and product development (Bashir et al., 2017). The dominance of social media in can aid business in research, marketing, and product development. Coupled with the formulation of relevant policies, social and traditional media can work interdependently to meet the interests of the audience in the most objective and ethical manner void of the typical challenges. Conclusively, this publication is in concurrence with Hashem et al. (2017).
Apply spiral of silence theory: Explain How the People by Using Social Media Have Started Sharing their Opinions
Developed by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, the spiral of silence theory postulates that the expression of public outlook through social media is adversely affected by the perception the people have about the prevailing climate (Gearhart & Zhang, 2015). People tend to pre-determine the potential impact of their opinion before sharing them on social media. If they believe that their views resonate with those of the majority, go ahead and post them. On the other hand, if they infer from the environment that their opinion is against the perception of the majority, they keep silent.
In relations to this theory, the people of the UAE have continued to utilize social media platforms to initiate fruitful collaborations in business and learning. According to Bishr (2012), the government’s decision to initiate the e-government services is being a culmination of citizen expression. In a country with a huge population of expats (around 88%), there were concerns that acquiring government services physically from offices was cumbersome. To overcome such challenges, experts, students and other stakeholders joined forces and through hashtags, they petitioned the government to consider offering such significant services through the Internet and mobile (Bishr, 2012).
By the end of 2015, the government announced that more than 90% of services from the crucial departments had gone digital. In entirety, the architects of the move were inspired by the realization that they were representing the opinion of the minority in the context of the hardships experienced when seeking government services from offices. Spurred by the progress, the government is committed to taking an entirely citizen-centered approach in offering all services in key sectors such as education, health, business, and security. This empowers the citizens to give feedback to the government which will then be used to improve the services (Bishr, 2012). While this is a more personalized platform than the conventional approach, social media is more transparent, and users can share ideas and gain ground to take the government to task in case of any issues in e-government services.

References
Ali, S. R., & Fahmy, S. (2013). Gatekeeping and citizen journalism: The use of social media during the recent uprisings in Iran, Egypt, and Libya. Media, War & Conflict, 6(1), 55-69.
Al-Jenaibi, B. (2014). The nature of Arab public discourse: Social media and the ‘Arab Spring.’ Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, 3(2), 241-260.
Alqudsi-ghabra, T. M., Al-Bannai, T., & Al-Bahrani, M. (2011). The Internet in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC): Vehicle of Change. International Journal of Internet Science, 6(1).
Baniyassen, S. O. (2017). MENA Region Transformed Media Environment and Media Convergence: UAE Case Study. Canadian Social Science, 13(7), 28-34.
Bashir, N., Papamichail, K. N., & Malik, K. (2017). Use of Social Media Applications for Supporting New Product Development Processes in Multinational Corporations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 120, 176-183.
Bishr, A. B. (2012). Government Initiatives Case study: Dubai e-Government Initiative (Doctoral dissertation, MANCHESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL).
Darwish, E. B. (2017). The effectiveness of the use of social media in government communication in the UAE. Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, 10(1).
Gearhart, S., & Zhang, W. (2015). ‘Was It Something I Said?” No, It Was Something You Posted!’ A Study of the Spiral of Silence Theory in Social Media Contexts. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 18(4).
Hashem, M. E., Hashem, J., & Hashem, P. (2017). Role of New Media in Education and Corporate Communication: Trends and Prospects in a Middle Eastern Context. In Digital Transformation in Journalism and News Media (pp. 443-466). Springer, Cham.
Karake-Shalhoub, Z., & Al Qasimi, L. (2007). The diffusion of e-commerce in developing economies: a resource-based approach. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Klischewski, R. (2014). When virtual reality meets realpolitik: Social media shaping the Arab government-citizen relationship. Government Information Quarterly, 31(3), 358-364.
Lenze, N. (2017). Social Media in the Arab World: Communication and Public Opinion in the Gulf States.
Mouakket, S. (2015). Factors influencing continuance intention to use social network sites: The Facebook case. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 102-110.
Reyaee, S., & Ahmed, A. (2015). Growth Pattern of Social Media Usage in Arab Gulf States: An Analytical Study. Social Networking, 4(02), 23.
Salloum, S. A., Al-Emran, M., Monem, A. A., & Shaalan, K. (2017). A survey of text mining in social media: facebook and twitter perspectives. Adv. Sci. Technol. Eng. Syst. J, 2(1), 127-133