The UAE is unique in that expatriates constitute more than 80 per cent of the population. As the country continues to grow and accept foreigners at an astounding pace, Emiratis worry that their national identity and culture are at stake. The issue has become so pressing that President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan declared 2008 UAE national identity year.

“People here have the feeling that we are losing our own country if this double-digit [expatriate percentage of population] growth continues and if the government does not address the problem and address it squarely and urgently,” says Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of political science at United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain.