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Nov 24, 2024
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Midterm Assessment
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Midterm Assessment
Introduction
According to the article “The Challenges of Digital Diplomacy in the Era of
Globalization,” by Osman Antwi-Boateng and Khadija Ali Mohammed Al Mazrouei, digital
diplomacy has been embraced by UAE as a key part of its foreign relations. This article evaluates
the challenges associated with digital diplomacy in the United Arab Emirates. Despite embracing
globalization, the UAE still faces deglobalization challenges that threaten the importance of
digital diplomacy. The obstacles that threaten the importance of digital diplomacy include
linguistic challenges, personnel challenges, organizational culture, media regulation, and state
censorship, and state security (
Osman, Antwi-Boateng and Mazrouei, 2021
). Besides, the UAE
also faces challenges like technical and digital divides, the risk of cyberattacks, keeping up with
a fast-paced worldwide media environment, difficulty in audience identification and targeting,
and negative regional perception. However, the failure or success of UAE’s digital diplomacy
will be determined by finding the right balance between regulating the digital realm and digital
empowerment to address legitimate national security issues. The transformation of diplomatic
practices due to technological innovation and globalization presents both challenges and
opportunities. This paper seeks to assess the main theories addressed by the authors of the article,
my position on their arguments, the need for future research, and the lesson learned from the
article.
Theoretical Discussion
There are various theories that the authors of the article have drawn their arguments on
including linguistic challenges, personnel challenges, organizational culture, media regulation,
and state censorship, and state security. I agree with the author's arguments because the
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transformation of diplomatic practices due to technological innovation and globalization has led
to various challenges and opportunities (
Osman, Antwi-Boateng and Mazrouei, 2021
). The
authors used a combination of secondary and data by utilizing qualitative research methodology
to gather data via in-depth personal interviews from foreign policy and expatriate academics
experts at UAE, UAE-based foreign diplomats, scholars, and top to UAE foreign policy
officials.
According to their findings, the organizational culture of a nation’s foreign policy affects
the country’s capacity to utilize digital tools in an effective manner. Organizational culture is
essential in ensuring the success of digital diplomacy (
Robertson, 2018). A cautious and
conservative establishment combined with the preservation of traditions has led to the success of
digital diplomacy in the UAE. Anyone doing digital diplomacy has to be careful when
representing society because the UAE is a conservative society. Additionally, the rapid transition
in the utilization of digital tools might cause organizational conflicts among senior diplomats
who are not conversant with the latest communication technology or might be used to traditional
technology (Bjola, 2018). The younger Emirati diplomat generation might be more conversant
with the current digital diplomacy but have less autonomy to utilize them due to the hierarchical
nature of MFAs and organizational culture.
Concerning generational issues, the youngest diplomats' generation in recent years has
shown a willingness to explore the potential of the internet and social media as a channel for
communicating with other countries. However, traditional diplomats are apprehensive about
utilizing new technologies in combination with traditional diplomatic practices. For instance,
traditional diplomats often attend celebratory receptions during national holidays (
Osman,
Antwi-Boateng and Mazrouei, 2021
). Conversely, during national holidays, the younger
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generation of diplomats might prefer making a social media post congratulating the opposing
party. This has caused a major challenge to the Gulf and the UAE region where the younger
generation cohort are yet to replace the older generation. Further generation rifts could occur as
a result of digital standpoints if traditional diplomats begin to use tools that they are not familiar
with or communicate in a different format.
Media regulation in the UAE is mainly aimed at safeguarding its reputation and that of its
leaders, institutions, and citizens. Besides, these regulations also help prevent abusive and
hateful commentary from UAE citizens online. For instance, access to the most popular video-
calling applications such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Facebook has been blocked by the UAE.
While these restrictions might help in serving as a security purpose, they may also limit the
UAE’s capacity of ordinary UAE residents and citizens to engage in public diplomacy through
digital tools out of fear of not complying with legal limits. The majority of individuals fear
making mistakes which makes them become more cautious.
Personnel and linguistic challenges have also affected the country’s capacity to utilize
digital tools in an effective manner. Fierce competition among nations to attract highly skilled
technology employees has been caused by an inadequate supply of qualified information
technology employees. For instance, 82% of businesses in the United Arab Emirates struggle to
hire top employees for existing positions in sectors with higher demand (Mansoori, 2019).
Besides, an effective digital diplomacy strategy needs the soft skills of language experts who are
able to craft effective content and messages in varied languages to target various audiences.
Most digital communications in the UAE concerning foreign policy are often relayed in Arabic
or English (Cyrill & Pasha, 2019). Failing to utilize various languages impedes the UAE’s
5
diplomats' ability to influence and shape international public opinion and engagement with
larger audiences.
Future Research
There is a great need for future research on the Challenges of Digital Diplomacy in the
Era of Globalization to help improve better understanding on the challenges and solutions to
Digital Diplomacy on globalization. This will also assist in finding the right balance between
regulating the digital realm and digital empowerment to address legitimate national security
issues. Doing more research on the success and failure of the UAE’s digital diplomacy will help
both the old-generation diplomats and the young-generation diplomats use excellent
communication technology and have a positive interest in connecting with the outside world. Not
much research has been performed on the UAE's efforts in digital diplomacy (
Osman, Antwi-
Boateng and Mazrouei, 2021
). Thus, future research will help fill the gap by addressing the
benefits of digital diplomacy to the UAE, the UAE’s digital diplomacy strategies, and the
challenge the UAE faces in embracing digital diplomacy as a key part of its foreign relations.
There is a need for future research because one of the key foreign policy tools that is used
by the UAE's government to boost its profile in the era of globalization is diplomacy. When any
citizen travels outside the UAE, they are expected to model the country’s personality, thoughts,
traditions, and values because they are viewed as a representation of the UAE. Also, future
research will help people understand how to reflect UAE diplomacy through the attitude,
wisdom, vision, and cultivated relationships of the leadership of the nation. In addition, this will
help in promoting the UAE’s foreign policy goals across the world.
Reflection of the Lesson Learned
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I have learned various lessons from the article regarding diplomacy in the era of
globalization specifically in the USA. I have learned that diplomacy through Internet tools has
resulted in the emergence of digital diplomacy. This is the strategy that entails management
change through virtual collaboration and digital tools. Digital diplomacy also encompasses the
utilization of social media platforms and digital technologies as a form of public diplomacy
(Adesina, 2017). Digital diplomacy is used globally including in the UAE to interact with other
governments on matters of defense, finance, humanitarian aid, and politics. Digital diplomacy
helps in promoting the foreign policy of the UAE.
I have also learned that the egalitarian and open nature of social media makes it
challenging for nations to protect censors and secret information deemed harmful to the security
of a country. This has posed a major challenge to foreign relations and traditional diplomacy
which demand control over information and secrecy. Besides, I learned that the transformation of
diplomatic practices caused by technological innovation and globalization has resulted to
challenges and opportunities. The organizational culture of a nation's foreign policy affects its
ability to use the current digital tools in an organized way. besides, this culture is vital in
ensuring that a nation successfully uses digital diplomacy.
In addition, I have learned that generational issue affects diplomacy in different ways. For
example, the youngest diplomats' generation has shown interest in exploring the potential of the
internet and social media as a channel for communicating, while the traditional generation are
apprehensive about using modern technologies in combination with traditional diplomatic
practices. However, these regulations might limit the UAE’s capacity of ordinary UAE residents
and citizens to use digital tools out of fear of not complying with legal limits. Besides, personnel
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and linguistic challenges have led to fierce competition among nations to attract highly skilled
technology employees
Conclusion
In conclusion, the transformation of diplomatic practices due to technological innovation
and globalization presents both challenges and opportunities to countries like the UAE.
The
main aim of media regulation in the UAE is to safeguard its reputation and that of its leaders,
institutions, and citizens. Traditional diplomatic communication tools have allowed nations to
keep diplomatic interaction out of public reach by controlling the flow of information. The
barriers that hinder the importance of digital diplomacy include linguistic challenges, personnel
challenges, organizational culture, media regulation, state censorship, and state security.
Challenges that the UAE faces include technical and digital divides, the risk of cyberattacks,
keeping up with a fast-paced worldwide media environment, difficulty in audience identification
and targeting, and negative regional perception. Finally, future research on the Challenges of
Digital Diplomacy in the Era of Globalization will help improve better understanding on the
challenges and solutions to foreign policies in the UAE.
.
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Reference
Adesina, O. S. (2017). Foreign policy in an era of digital diplomacy.
Cogent Social Sciences
,
3(1), 1297175. doi:10.1080/23311886.2017.1297175
Bjola, C. (2018). Adapting diplomacy to the digital age:
Managing the organizational cultures of
Ministries of Foreign Affairs
(Working Paper No.1). Oxford Digital Diplomacy Research
Group. Retrieved from
https://www.qeh.ox.ac.uk/sites/www.odid.ox.ac.uk/files/DigDiploROxWP1.pdf
Bjola, C., & Pamment, J. (2018).
Countering online propaganda and extremism
: The dark side of
digital diplomacy. New York, NY: Routledge.
Cyrill, M. M., & Pasha, A. K. (2019). Diplomacy in the Internet age challenges and opportunities
for the UAE
. In Smart Technologies and Innovation for a Sustainable Future
(pp. 85–93).
Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Osman Antwi-Boateng and Khadija Ali Mohammed Al Mazrouei (2021) The Challenges of
Digital Diplomacy in the Era of Globalization: The Case of the United Arab Emirates.
International Journal of Communication
15(2021), 4577–4595
Robertson, J. (2018). Organizational culture and public diplomacy in the digital sphere: The case
of South Korea.
Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies
, 5(3), 672–682. doi:10.1002/app5.256