Workers’ riots at a labour camp in Sharjah last March were a stark reminder of the delicate balance the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries face as they chase rapid modernisation constructed by the hands of foreign labourers.

Beyond this, the vagaries of the global economy have added to the pressure – inflation of at least 10 per cent and the weak dollar-pegged dirham have reduced the remittances of South Asian labourers as well as raised living costs.