A team of PhD students from the International Executive School has published new research on labor integration reform in the UAE, giving voice to the people most directly affected: young Emirati nationals and South Asian migrant workers in the hospitality sector. Led by Frank Naboulsi and supervised by Dr. Zina Kyriakou, the study was a collaborative effort with fellow PhD students Hla Myo Kyaw, Aung Moe, Thazin Win, and Saka Bahadur.

Much of the existing literature on this topic has focused on labor conditions and the mistreatment of migrant workers across the Middle East. This study took a different approach, looking instead toward reform

and asking both Emiratis and migrant workers directly what meaningful change would actually require. What emerged was a shared, forward-looking vision rather than competing demands. Both groups pointed to the same solution: greater investment in education, covering everything from language and financial literacy to professional development, delivered in ways that bring the two communities together rather than keeping them apart. Young Emiratis described this kind of investment as a reflection of their cultural values, while migrant workers described it as recognition of their humanity and potential.

We congratulate Frank Naboulsi and the entire student research team on this thoughtful and timely contribution to the scholarship in migration and organisational psychology

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Reference: Naboulsi, F., Kyriakou, Z., Kyaw, M.H., Moe, A., Win, T. & Bahadur, S. (2026). Centering Stakeholder Voices: Young Emirati Nationals and South Asian Migrant Workers on Labor Integration Reform in the UAE. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 14(3), 705-717.