Dubai, the new Eldorado for young French Muslims?

This is the case of Mathieu, 35, who converted to Islam in 2011, reports the newspaper Le Monde. After feeling a change in attitude in France, where he had to pray hidden under parking lot stairs, this business school graduate decided to leave. Settled in the Emirates for nearly ten years, he has found a "good compromise between Western identity and Arab and Muslim culture", far from daily micro-aggressions.

According to researcher Margot Dazey, who conducted a study of twenty-seven French Muslim expatriate graduates, the departure is often motivated by a sense of frustration. These young professionals, in full social ascent, struggle to obtain in France the status corresponding to their skills due to discrimination. Abroad, they find a consistency between what they are and how they are considered.

Sofiane, a thirty-something consultant of Moroccan and Portuguese origin, confirms this observation. Arrived in Dubai at the end of 2023, he appreciates no longer hearing "noise" around his name or his origins. For him, the emirate offers attractive salaries and a secure quality of life, where only competence counts.

Meryem, 40, a tech employee, also took the plunge with her family. Born in France to Moroccan parents, she deplores the condescending gaze cast on her parents and the oppressive political climate. In Dubai, she is delighted that her children can learn Arabic at school and escape "ordinary racism". While the motivations vary, between religious quest and economic opportunities, the desire to escape an atmosphere deemed stifling in France remains a powerful driver for this generation.