Re-thinking tanawwo (diversity) and musawat (equality) in the Middle East

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer an editorial introduction to the special issue on “Diversity management in the Middle East”.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the state of extant research on diversity and equal opportunity in the Middle East. It also offers an overview of the papers included in the special issue and the unique contribution they make to this field of knowledge.

Findings – Findings vary from one paper to the other; however, overall, the papers in the special issue bring to fore alternative types of national and corporate institutions, theoretical ideas, activities and challenges involved in diversity and equality management in the Middle East.

Research limitations/implications – The papers offer some fresh insights in terms of theorizing and enacting diversity and equal opportunity in departure from the dominant Anglo-centric theorizations in this field.

Practical implications – Policy makers as well as business managers may take into account various findings and recommendations offered in the papers in formulating context-specific policies and practices of diversity management in the Middle East.

Originality/value – There are not many researchers interested in this field in the Middle East. Thus there are relatively few high quality research papers being produced. Those that are published appear in a wide variety of journals never achieving a critical mass. And the central role of national culture and values is rarely examined. The current (special) issue of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion addresses these gaps.