Soft power is the capacity to shape other individuals’ experiences with the ability to inspire and attract. Countries deploy political and cultural assets to accomplish objectives that cannot be done through the use of threat or force. The attractiveness of entertainment, education, and culture are among the elements that impact public diplomacy and global relations (Anaz, 2022). The capacity to influence other individuals and cultures and their capability to establish anticipated material and value outcomes are essential tools in advancing a country’s attractiveness. Turkey possesses a significant soft power potential, and its foreign policy and political class becoming cognizant prove to be a substantial step forward. Besides, Turkey has essential soft power assets that can assist the political elite and Turkey’s society in realizing their potential. The United Arab Emirates’ soft power aims at intensifying the nation’s international reputation abroad by highlighting its heritage, contributions, identity, and culture globally. The UAE soft power plan pillars are humanitarian diplomacy, academic and scientific diplomacy, national representatives’ diplomacy, people diplomacy, media, cultural diplomacy, and economic diplomacy. In this context, the paper discusses the difference between soft power in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
The potential determinants of soft power in the United Arab Emirates include foreign aid, human rights, foreign policy, environmental sustainability, cultural and ethnic plurality, economic power, and the rise in government spending and global rankings (Al Zaabi & Awamleh, 2019). The administration of the United Arab Emirates has aggressively sought a set of foreign policy objectives to extend the nation’s soft power abilities while collaborating with neighboring states to attain specific cultural, diplomatic, and economic objectives. The United Arab Emirates’ soft power strategy is grounded on four primary goals. They include developing an integrated direction for multiple sectors like humanities, science, media, tourism, and economy and promoting the position of the United Arab Emirates as a gateway to the region. Besides, it includes establishing the United Arab Emirates as a regional capital for tourism, art, and culture and creating its reputation as a modern and tolerant nation that welcomes all individuals from all parts of the world. Such strategies have placed the United Arab Emirates on the path to becoming a country with considerable soft power globally (Antwi-Boateng, & Alhashmi, 2021). The United Arab Emirates promotes itself as a moderate Islamic nation that has created sensible investments in domestic industries while also offering investment incentives that have made the country an attractive destination for tourism and foreign investment and expatriates to work and live. The United Arab Emirates has legally recognized soft power as an essential foreign policy tool. The UAE soft power aims at promoting the nation through successful diplomacy to many individuals from multiple backgrounds. The country aims at developing a varied strategy to introduce its culture, knowledge, history, and values to all individuals globally.
Besides, the United Arab Emirates’ success in governance, educational investment, outstanding digital infrastructure, and economic development has made it an attractive nation (Antwi-Boateng, & Alhashmi, 2021). The United Arab Emirates has deployed its domestic success into international engagement through growing diplomatic missions, foreign and philanthropic aid, hosting of global events, peacekeeping operations, multilateralism, and conflict resolution. In the international attention of the United Arab Emirates, its soft power can be felt because the arrangements are perceived as promoting legal multicultural causes and global norms (Antwi-Boateng, & Alhashmi, 2021). The United Arab Emirates has advanced economic prosperity, and political stability invested significantly in education while promoting a culture of multiculturalism and tolerance, which have made the nation an attractive location for international education, employment, and tourism.
Additionally, the UAE as a federation was significantly grounded on the deployment of soft power by Sheikh Zayed, who persuaded the leadership of other Emirates to join Abu Dhabi in a partnership. The soft power of mutual interest and cooperation has been used in the federation, encouraging active participation. Besides, the United Arab Emirates constantly ranks among the least corrupt nations globally, showing the trustworthiness of political institutions in the country. The strength of the soft power comes from the United Arab Emirates’ social, religious, and cultural traits in possessing a very liberal setting. The United Arab Emirates has failed to imitate Western democratic parliamentary systems and to conform to typical Western liberal political values. However, specific aspects of its political system allow the United Arab Emirates to maintain the nation’s success and government stability. The United Arab Emirates is the only federal nation in the Gulf region that has thrived and survived despite the existing geopolitical conflicts and tensions. The success of the United Arab Emirates responsibility as an influential soft power in the area and on the global stage. The nation’s reputation as a business-friendly and stable region and tolerant society augmented its soft power and image.
Moreover, the United Arabs Emirates’ high safety and political stability is a significant attraction that draws many individuals to the country annually. The nation is a role model of peace, prosperity, and stability in a challenged region. The United Arab Emirates aspires to become a positive-change driver to guarantee a better future and reality (Antwi-Boateng, & Alhashmi, 2021). The country is among the lowest crime rates and assault rates globally. Such accomplishments have attracted global attention, which has increased the number of tourists visiting Dubai. The United Arab Emirates is among the most global social and economic achievement indices. The country has a highly competitive economy that attracts significant business people. The United Arab Emirates is also ranked high on multiple infrastructure indices like sea infrastructure, airport infrastructure, and road quality. The Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai International Financial Center provide innovative services. The Abu Dhabi Global Market advertises itself as the globe’s first inclusive crypto assets regulatory framework and completely digital courtroom.
Furthermore, the United Arab Emirates has extended its substantial infrastructural investment to include the domain of higher education, ending in the formation of the Dubai International Academy City. It is the globe’s largest free zone devoted to the search for intellectual growth and higher education. Besides, it is home to many global and regional universities and colleges and serves over 27,000 learners worldwide. The United Arab Emirates’ educational model supports soft power and enables the operation of several educational approaches to recognize the diverse nationalities enrolled in multiple educational methods, thus participating in educational and inter-cultural exchanges without leaving the nation (Antwi-Boateng, & Alhashmi, 2021). There has been an increase in international learners coming to the United Arab Emirates to get their university degree and experience native culture before going back to their home nations with a positive.
The UAE is a famous destination for expatriates since its culture enables people to practice the religion of their choice as they respect various cultural traditions. The policies of promoting tolerance in the United Arab Emirates have attained their anticipated impact of gathering favorable consideration for the nation, thus improving the image of the United Arab Emirate as a nation worthy the imitation. The Pope’s visit to the UAE in 2018 was essential. The associated religious services were broadcast live globally, leading to an establishment of necessary global goodwill and soft power edges for the country (Antwi-Boateng, & Alhashmi, 2021). The United Arab Emirates’ soft power emphasizes leveraging its good international image grounded on its tolerance of all global communities, using its unique destination social and economic stability and serving as a host to individuals of all nationalities. The United Arab Emirates’ image as an approach of tolerance is an essential soft power tool. The United Arab Emirates is strongly dedicated to women’s rights and female empowerment. Emirati women assume their responsibilities in society and attain their rightful position based on their qualifications and capabilities. The constitution of the United Arab Emirates has ensured similar rights as men concerning equal access to holding government offices, health and social benefits, jobs, and education. Empowering women in the United Arab Emirates is a sift power tool.
On the other hand, Turkey has integrated a soft power discourse into the foreign policy agenda and focused its attention on creating its soft power infrastructure. Nevertheless, the limitations on free speech, the crackdown on the opposition, and media censorship have influenced Turkey’s current soft power ranking (Çevik, 2019). There is an external effort of the West to present and brand Turkey as a role model for the broader Middle East, which cultivated domestic discourse on the country’s soft power. Turkey’s soft power is interconnected to America’s and Europe’s necessity for security and locating a moderate Muslim voice in the Middle East. Soft power as a foreign policy in Turkey draws from Turkey’s cultural, geographical, and historical ties to the nearby nations. Turkey depends on its cultural infinity with Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkans with a shared interest.
The European Union and Turkey bid acted as a significant element to create the groundwork, which resulted in a substantial soft power resource for Turkey. Democratizing reforms in Turkey involved advancing the rule of law, minority rights, religious freedoms, and government transparency (Çevik, 2019). The democratic reforms were essential for Turkey’s soft power and public diplomacy. Also, Turkey’s foreign aid, like development and humanitarian aid, are crucial elements in Turkey’s soft power discourse. Turkey possesses a robust administration network and nongovernmental actors that offer foreign aid assisting Turkey as a benevolent state. The developmental and humanitarian aid has been critical to the public diplomacy of Turkey in its attempts to brand the state as a compassionate nation and a donor country. The cumulative political and economic drivers of the soft power of Turkey discourse have contributed to the creation of public diplomacy institutions in aims to develop soft power infrastructure for the nation.
Turkish soft power comprises direct state soft power via diplomatic expansions and huge non-state outreach endeavors through Turkish welfare, economic, and cultural non-state actors and Turkish TV and media popularity globally. Turkey has been acknowledged as a role model for democracy, development, and reforms. The psychological, economic, and political boosts over the last 20 years have intensified non-state actors’ global capacities and engagements. Turkey’s soft power potential increased when domestic advancement happened. Turkey required confidence to invest in state-managed arrangements to create a way for non-state actors to take on soft power. Turkish TV series and dramas impact the image of Turkey in the region. In dramas and movies, Turkey has been perceived as a nation that can offer an affluent life for its individuals while sustaining the Islamic religion. Viewers around the region see the movies more variedly than they do other foreign dramas since the portrayals of Turley share significant cultural features with their individual experiences.
Positive diplomacy based on soft power generated respect and developed a positive image for Turkey in the region. By focusing on constructive approaches and positive discourse, and depending on soft power, non-military influence instruments like student exchanges, academic exchanges, media, and TV series relations to develop a positive image. Such concerns have made Turley a popular mediator for regional matters. A zero-problem model to regional associations increased the popularity of Turkey in the region, which has enabled it to exhibit a willingness to ease conflicts and tensions and create good neighbor associations. Turkey has emphasized advancing associations with neighbors like Iran, Iraq, and Syria to develop mutual trust, respect, and interdependence. The trade and investment associations with those nations have been fast-growing and impressive. Turkey has been actively engaged in the crisis in Syria and has pushed for dialogues with the Assad administration to motivate positive steps towards reconciling with the opposing groups.
Turkey has attained significant success as a Muslim nation by developing democracy, demilitarizing the political structures, preserving its traditions, and integrating into the global economy while securing economic and political stability. The abolition of visas has made it easier for individuals to come to Turkey, intensifying cultural interactions. A more liberal visa policy has enabled Turkey to attract increasing attention in the region and globally for the intensity and energy of its novel initiatives in the Middle East. The relations with Iraq and Syria facilitate the efforts to minimize conflicts, extend visa-free travel, ramp up trade, forge strategic associations, integrate infrastructure, and participate in multilateral, regional platforms. However, Turkey’s ability to attract international audiences, particularly western audiences, has diminished and continues to decline (Anaz, 2022). Turkey’s association beyond its borders is ornamented with geographical, historical, and cultural discourses.
In Conclusion, there are considerable differences between soft power in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. The potential determinants of soft power in the United Arab Emirates include foreign aid, human rights, foreign policy, environmental sustainability, cultural and ethnic plurality, economic power, and the rise in government spending and global rankings. The creation of the UAE as a federation was significantly grounded on the deployment of soft power by Sheikh Zayed, who persuaded the leadership of other Emirates to join Abu Dhabi in a partnership. Besides, the United Arab Emirates’ educational model supports soft power and enables the operation of several educational approaches in recognition of the diverse nationalities enrolled in multiple educational methods. The UAE is a famous destination for expatriates since it allows for free worship as they respect various cultural traditions. On the other hand, the European Union and Turkey’s bid acted as a significant element to create the groundwork, which resulted in a substantial soft power resource for Turkey. Also, Turkey’s foreign aid, like development and humanitarian aid, are essential elements in Turkey’s soft power discourse. Turkey has focused on constructive approaches and positive discourse. Depending on soft power, non-military influence instruments like student exchanges, academic exchanges, media, and TV series relations to develop a positive image. Soft power lies in the capacity to influence the conduct of others by impacting their preferences using multiple actions, policies, and qualities that endear countries to other states.
References
Al Zaabi, F., & Awamleh, R. (2019). Determinants of soft power: the case of United Arab Emirates. In Future Governments. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Anaz, N. (2022). An Assessment of Turkey’s Soft Power Resources in Asia: Potential and Limitations. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 1-17.
Antwi-Boateng, O., & Alhashmi, A. A. (2021). The emergence of the United Arab Emirates as a global soft power: current strategies and future challenges. Economic and Political Studies, 1-20.
Çevik, S. B. (2019). Reassessing Turkey’s soft power: the rules of attraction. Alternatives, 44(1), 50-71.
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