A reorganisation of government ministries in 2006 has lead to the establishment of the National Media Council, whose main objective is to oversee media development in the UAE and to support certain media initiatives.

The Government was also of the opinion that the culture and media fields are both in the process of rapid development and it was necessary to take a fresh look at how government support could be most effectively structured.

Culture and heritage are crucially important aspects on the UAE Government’s list of development priorities. Since it is a relatively young country with a growing youthful population, its older generation is deeply concerned that the strengths of character and identity that were nurtured by the lifestyle, customs and traditions of the past could be lost as a result of a new affluence and the effects of globalisation.

There is good cause for this concern, especially with the pervading influence of satellite television and the Internet, but there is also considerable cause for optimism: the context may have altered but core values have been preserved. As a visit to a local school or activity group is likely to confirm, cultural ethnicity is alive and well in terms of Emirati music, dance, poetry, story-telling, art and sports such as falconry, camel-racing, and sailing.