Page 101 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

Here to Stay: GCC Market Attractiveness and Risks 85

mass-market appeals, is also substantial. The GCC’s charitable con-
tributions to the broader MENA region both reflect and strengthen
the sense of affiliation between the two areas.
The entertainment media and other cultural outlets are
another aspect of connectivity that cannot be overlooked. Egyptian
films, television, music, and literature flow into the GCC countries
and are a bedrock of Arabic-language culture. Lebanon is another
key source of music and television programming. Arab celebrities
enjoy recognition throughout the MENA world—including the
GCC states. Take, for example, Nancy Arjam. Arjam is a highly
popular Lebanese singer who endorses Coca-Cola as well as the
UAE-based but rapidly expanding Damas jewelry chain through-
out the region. “Arab” restaurants in the GCC countries and
elsewhere largely serve cuisine from Lebanon (e.g., hummus and
shawarma) and Morocco (couscous and tahini), as traditional Gulf
dishes are few and fairly simple.

LINKAGES WITH ASIA AND BEYOND

Another factor that adds to the GCC countries’ market attractive-
ness is the markets’ linkages with Asia (especially South Asia)
and beyond. These linkages make the commercial footprint of the
GCC far larger than the domestic markets of its constituent
countries.

South Asia: “Dubai–Mumbai Express”

South Asian workers—especially those in working-class roles—
make up about half of the GCC nations’ expatriates. In the UAE, the
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figure may be as high as 60 percent. A portion of these expatriates
come from families that have been based in the GCC countries for
multiple generations but retain their expatriate status. Expatriate
South Asians, even more than expatriates from the MENA world,
are tied strongly to their countries of origin. This is partly because
they face more barriers to “being at home” in the GCC countries;
language is a large hurdle for most South Asians, and religion is
another separating factor for non-Muslim Indians. Muslim Indians
sometimes feel a greater affinity with the region than do their
Hindu, Sikh, and Christian counterparts.