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Abstract

This study examines the moral regulation and institutional structure of the gendered division of labor in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a rapidly modernizing society characterized by demographic imbalance and state-led economic diversification. Drawing on Durkheim’s theory of moral regulation and Weber’s concept of rationalization, the paper analyzes how women’s empowerment and Emiratization policies reshape workplace cultures across gender and citizenship lines. The analysis is based on original survey data collected between 2019 and 2024 (N=10,100), comparing Emirati citizens and expatriate residents. Descriptive findings reveal overwhelming support for women’s right to work and for gender parity in political representation, indicating that women’s participation has achieved broad acceptance. However, regression models demonstrate significant variation by gender, citizenship, marital status, and education. Emirati men emerge as a distinctly more conservative subgroup, particularly regarding women’s employment autonomy, leadership authority, and perceptions of motherhood as a career constraint. Education consistently predicts more egalitarian attitudes across all measures. Interaction effects further show  Emirati citizens who are men exhibit more intensely traditional views. The findings suggest that the UAE represents a distinct model of state-led modernization, where bureaucratic rationalization and gender inclusion are embedded within culturally grounded narratives of family cohesion and national identity. While institutional reforms have advanced rapidly, normative transformation remains uneven. The study contributes to broader debates on gender, labor segmentation, and state-directed modernization in the Global South.

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