Centering Stakeholder Voices: Young Emirati Nationals and South Asian Migrant Workers on Labor Integration Reform in the UAE

Abstract

Despite sustained international criticism of UAE labor conditions, the perspectives of those most directly affected remain empirically underexplored. This qualitative study examined how Generation Z Emirati nationals (n=28) and South Asian migrant workers in the hospitality sector (n=25) perceive labor-related reputational challenges and envision reform. Three mixed-participant virtual focus groups were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Both communities independently identified government-funded educational programming as the optimal intervention, capable of simultaneously advancing worker development and restoring national reputation. Young Emiratis framed reform as an expression of genuine cultural values rather than external compliance. Migrant workers articulated aspirations extending well beyond employment security, encompassing professional development, financial literacy, and meaningful societal contribution. Both groups rejected segregationist approaches, calling for integrated cross-cultural programming. These findings challenge assumptions about inherently competing interests between host and migrant populations, and suggest that strategic educational investment offers a stakeholder-grounded pathway to substantive labor integration reform.