Intergenerational cohesion, cultural continuity, and ageing in the United Arab Emirates: a qualitative study of older adults’ perspectives

Intergenerational relationships are central to later-life wellbeing and the transmission of cultural identity, yet older adults’ own accounts of these processes remain underrepresented in Gulf societies. This qualitative interview study explored how older Emirati adults understand intergenerational cohesion, cultural continuity, and the role of family and community institutions in sustaining these ties. Ten Emirati adults aged 60 years and older were recruited through community-based access points and interviewed in Arabic using a semi-structured guide. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim in Arabic. Coding and theme development were conducted primarily from the Arabic transcripts using reflexive thematic analysis, with English translations prepared for the presentation of illustrative quotations. Four themes were developed: cohesion through routine family gatherings; transmission through everyday hospitality, worship, and heritage skills; participant-proposed institutional supports for intergenerational cohesion; and modernization as both risk and resource. Participants described weekly Friday gatherings as important settings for emotional connection, storytelling, and reciprocal support, and identified hospitality, religious observance, and heritage activities as mechanisms of cultural transmission. They described digital technologies as both potentially disruptive to face-to-face interaction and useful for maintaining family contact. Within this self-selected sample of older Emirati adults who maintained regular interaction with younger family members, intergenerational cohesion was described as being sustained through recurring family practices and culturally meaningful everyday routines. Participants also identified schools, community organizations, and structured intergenerational initiatives as potential settings for strengthening contact across generations. The findings contribute to understanding how intergenerational relationships may support belonging, identity continuity, and emotional wellbeing in later life within a rapidly modernizing cultural context.