Mastering Crisis Communication in Multilingual, Diverse Societies

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Dear reader,

In this week's edition of the Wag The Dog Newsletter, I explore one of the most fascinating challenges facing today's crisis & risk communicators – how to effectively reach diverse populations during emergencies.

During my recent trip to the United Arab Emirates, I experienced a fascinating blend of cultures and languages. It's a place where people from over 200 different nationalities come together, speaking more than 100 languages, creating a vibrant tapestry of multicultural communication.

The knowledge gained from this has a big impact on how I view crisis and risk communication and community engagement, especially as our communities grow more diverse.

Your feedback and contributions are what make this newsletter special—a community effort to push our field forward in an ever-evolving world. So don’t hesitate to comment or hit reply.

Happy reading, Philippe

Table of Contents

• The 100 Languages Challenge.

• The Multicultural Reality

• Beyond the Bilingual Default

• The Cultural Mapping Imperative

• Mental Models Matter

• Practical Strategies for Complex Environments

• The Path Forward

• Sponsor

• Let’s meet!

The 100 Languages Challenge.

When a disaster strikes in a place where residents speak over 100 languages and hail from more than 200 countries, how do you ensure everyone understands what to do?

This was the question that occupied my mind throughout my recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, a nation where locals constitute just 11.5% of the population, with the remaining 88.5% comprising one of the most diverse expatriate communities on earth¹ .

The Multicultural Reality

The UAE presents a fascinating case study for crisis communicators.

Here, a South Asian construction worker, a Filipino nurse, a Lebanese business executive, a British teacher, and an Emirati citizen may all need the same critical information during a flash flood or an industrial accident – but they'll likely interpret warnings differently, trust different sources, and take action based on cultural frameworks that may be invisible to outsiders² .

What became clear during my visit is that the UAE has invested impressively in sophisticated disaster management systems through the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA). The authority's comprehensive approach combines cutting-edge technology with strategic planning to address the complex challenge of communicating effectively across cultural and linguistic divides.

NCEMA's innovative work demonstrates how a forward-thinking government can tackle the multifaceted human element of crisis communication.

Beyond the Bilingual Default

The UAE's crisis communication system impressively delivers information in Arabic and English, serving as a foundation for their multilingual approach. NCEMA and other agencies continually work to expand their linguistic reach to accommodate the diverse population.

During my stay, I observed how different communities perceive risks through distinct cultural lenses, a finding supported by several studies³ . For instance:

• South Asian communities often approach risk through a collectivist framework, with strong ties to family-oriented decision making during emergencies.

• Filipino communities demonstrated notable disaster preparedness, drawing on experiences from typhoon management systems back home.

• Arab expatriates responded effectively to culturally resonant messaging that incorporated narrative elements familiar to their communication styles.

• Western expatriates typically sought comprehensive information packages with detailed preparation guidelines.

• Emirati nationals expertly balanced traditional community structures with modern emergency systems, creating an effective synthesis of approaches.

These cultural variations highlight the importance of tailored messaging across different communities, an area where the UAE's multicultural expertise provides valuable insights for global crisis communicators.

The Cultural Mapping Imperative

For communication professionals working in diverse environments, the UAE offers valuable lessons: effective crisis communication begins long before any emergency.

The approaches I observed during my visit showcased cultural mapping excellence – understanding not just what languages are spoken, but how different communities engage with emergency information:

• Process Risk: communities may view risk through lenses of individual control, collective responsibility, or broader frameworks, requiring adapted messaging strategies.

• Establish Trust: recognising that credibility varies across communities – government officials, community leaders, employers, and experts all play important roles in an integrated communication strategy.

• Make Decisions: different groups follow distinct decision-making patterns during emergencies, a factor all sophisticated communication planning should take into account.

• Access Information: the UAE uses multiple distribution channels strategically – from advanced digital alerts for urban professionals to community-based networks for reaching all population segments.

• Respond Emotionally: understanding emotional responses to crises varies across cultures, an important nuance which can be increased by communication training programs.

One particularly initiative I observed involved the development of cultural communication specialists who work across multiple communities and serve as communication bridges during emergencies. These skilled professionals go beyond translation to ensure messages resonate appropriately with specific cultural groups.

Mental Models Matter

Perhaps the most fascinating insight from my stay and research concerned how different cultural groups mentally mapped hazards.

For example, UAE studies found that driving behavior – a proxy for risk perception – varied across cultural backgrounds, with each group bringing their own valuable perspectives to road safety⁴ .

Similarly, health perception research found that Emirati female students demonstrated distinctive conceptualizations of certain medical conditions compared to their international counterparts – reflecting rich cultural differences in approaches to health and wellness⁵ .

For crisis communicators, this reinforces the importance of understanding the diverse mental models through which different communities interpret warnings. The UAE's approach recognizes that messages need cultural calibration to achieve maximum clarity across all segments of their multicultural society.

Practical Strategies for Complex Environments

For communication professionals working in diverse settings similar to the UAE, several strategies emerged as particularly effective:

Community Co-Design: Involve representatives from diverse communities in developing communication materials. This goes beyond focus groups to actual collaborative creation of messaging.

Multi-Channel Distribution: Different communities access information differently. Some might rely on WhatsApp groups, others on religious centers, employers, or traditional media. A comprehensive strategy uses all available channels.

Visual Communication: Well-designed visual materials can transcend language barriers – but be aware that even symbols are culturally encoded. Test visual communication across cultural groups to ensure common understanding.

Trusted Messengers: Identify who each community trusts and work through these channels. During my visit, I saw how mosque announcements proved more effective for certain communities than official alerts.

Feedback Mechanisms: Create ways for diverse communities to report back on message clarity and reach. Two-way communication is critical for improvement.

Cultural Competence Training: Ensure your team understands the cultural underpinnings of your diverse audiences, not just the languages they speak.

The Path Forward

As our societies become increasingly diverse, the old model of one-size-fits-all crisis communication grows more outdated. The UAE example showcases the possibilities of effectively communicating across profound cultural differences.

The forward-thinking emergency management professionals I met in the UAE have pioneered an approach that transforms diversity into a strategic resource. They recognize that cultural knowledge enhances resilience, with different communities contributing valuable perspectives to disaster response.

For instance, the UAE benefits from community networks that can mobilize quickly during emergencies. The country also leverages international expertise, creating a synthesis of global best practices adapted to their unique context⁶ .

The lesson for crisis communicators everywhere is that truly effective emergency messaging must be culturally intelligent, not just multilingual. In a world where populations are increasingly mobile and diverse, an inclusive approach demonstrates how cultural competence saves lives.

As I mentioned during my keynote at the World Crisis and Emergency Management Summit here, effective communication ensures everyone understands emergency messages clearly. The goal is to reach every community with information they can act on immediately.

If you work in communication, it's important to know that during a crisis, understanding different cultures is not just helpful—it's a necessary skill that organizations and emergency teams need to have.

What do you think?

References and further reading.

1  https://www.facebook.com/GlobalMediaInsight. (2025, April 7). United Arab Emirates (UAE) Population Statistics 2025 | GMI. Official GMI Blog. https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/uae-population-statistics/

2  Krum Krumov, Schneider, J. F., Liu, J., Krumova, A. K., Eko Widodo Widodo, Gungov, A. L., Juhasz, M., Garvanova, M. Z., Kumar, S., & Repaczki, R. (2023). Cross-cultural Research of the Perceived Risk During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Risk Analysis and Crisis Response, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.54560/jracr.v13i1.352

3  Global Report 2024. (2024). Theculturefactor.com. https://www.theculturefactor.com/resources/report/global-report-2024

4  Maghelal, P. K., Lara, J. C. F., Goonetilleke, R. S., & Luximon, A. (2023). Determinants of self-efficacy of driving behavior among young adults in the UAE: Impact of gender, culture, and varying environmental conditions in a simulated environment. Heliyon, 9(3), e13993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13993

5  Winslow, W. W., & Honein, G. (2007). Bridges and Barriers to Health: Her Story—Emirati Women’s Health Needs. Health Care for Women International, 28(3), 285–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399330601180206

6  Solidarity in Crisis: The UN’s Collaborative Humanitarian Action from the UAE. (2020). United Arab Emirates. https://unitedarabemirates.un.org/en/242926-solidarity-crisis-uns-collaborative-humanitarian-action-uae

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What I am reading/testing/checking out:

• Guide: The UNDAC Handbook

• Resource: better images to illustrate AI (no robots!)

• Serious Game: the UNDRR Stop Disaster Game

• Interactive learning: how do you know you’re ready for a disaster?

Let’s meet!

PS: I hope you've enjoyed this newsletter! Creating it each weekend is a labour of love that I provide for free. If you've found my writing valuable, the best way to support it is by sharing it with others. Thank you for reading!

_{Parts of this newsletter were created using AI technology to draft content. In addition, all AI-generated images include a caption stating, 'This image was created using AI'. These changes were made in line with the transparency requirements of the EU AI law for AI-generated content. Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase; however, I only promote tools and services that I have tested, use myself, or am convinced will make a positive difference.}