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Compare and Contrast:
The U.A.E. now and 30 years ago
It has been said that “the only constant is change”: for the U.A.E., changes have indeed been significant since the discovery of oil. Nevertheless, this young, new country retains much that is old too. Below, I will outline some differences and similarities between the U.A.E. now and 30 years ago.
One striking difference is wealth. 30 years ago, the average Emirati did not have a car or two or a huge house. Now, however, this is commonplace. Education has also changed: whereas three decades ago the only teaching was of the holy Qran, now teaching from kindergarten up through university is prevalent. Last, medical facilities differ. In the past, people relied on traditional medicine such as herbal remedies but nowadays there are many modern public and private hospitals.
Differences notwithstanding, some similarities remain. For example, people uphold age-old customs. Some of these include camel-racing and traditional wedding celebrations. Additionally, clothing is still a constant. Although Emiratis occasionally wear western garb, men usually still wear the dishdasha and women the abbaya. Finally, the religion is still the same: people are devoted to Islam.
All in all, the U.A.E. is still the U.A.E., but it has undergone some very big changes. Perhaps the differences are greater than the similarities.
Word count: 207
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