Social networks and news: The case of Emirati women in Dubai

Abstract

Chehab examines the extent to which Emirati women in the UAE use social networks, most notably Twitter and Facebook, to learn about, share and debate local and international news and current events. By measuring women’s online presence and activism, the author puts forth original data that can contribute to the growing literature on gender and social media in the Arab Gulf context. The chapter also answers other questions, such as: how much are UAE women interested, concerned or eager to learn about news? Do they use social media to read news and learn, or do they only use it for socialization and entertainment purposes? Are they active micro-bloggers? The aim is to look at the patterns, reasons and modalities behind the use of social networks in Dubai.