Faith News through Radio and Digital Media: An Exploratory Study of Expats Seeking Islamic Information in Dubai, UAE

Abstract

When non-Muslims become immersed in an Islamic way of life-a common occurrence in the UAE, a Muslim country where the majority of the resident population is foreign born-some become interested in learning more about the Islamic faith. This interest is also evident among new converts to Islam from other countries when they reside in the UAE. Little is known about how information about Islam is disseminated to non-Muslims and new Muslims in the UAE, how these expatriates search for the religious information they desire, and the challenges they encounter in their inquiries. This study applies the theory of diffusion of innovations as a guiding framework to understand the target audience, explore the informational gaps in their knowledge, and propose an innovative media model. The personal interviews were conducted with nineteen expat residents within Dubai and their response results were analyzed. The researcher identified lack of organization in the methods of dissemination of Islamic information and limited access among foreign-born residents to reliable and accurate information on Islam. The study considered a media model for the use of a radio with digital media to disseminate information about Islam among specific expatriates in the UAE.