"Where are you from " ??

You can be asked this question anywhere. In Dubai, this rather innocent question can have several layers - sometimes with hidden meaning. It can become an existential one too, determining your fate in more ways than one. One can pop this question to you anywhere : In a taxi, at the super market, barber's shop, at your work place, at a restaurant - well virtually anywhere. Dubai offers one the opportunity to indulge in asking such personal questions as " Where are you from" rather easily. Simply because most of the residents are not from UAE and are expats.

There are various shades of this question though. One may ask this question to :
1) Genuinely know where you are from, in which case it is an innocent enquiry
2) "Place you " so that he/she knows where you are from - in case you are negotiating for a salary etc..
3) Judge you ( or rather Pre-judge you)

This question can be one of the most important questions that can decide a lot of things for you, including :
a) Your salary - Yes, you guessed it right. For the same job and qualifications, two people can be paid totally different salaries simply depending on where they are from. Call it what you want, but this "differential" exists in the Gulf, not only in UAE.
b) What your friends circle will look like
c) Whether you will be considered " cool" ( some nationalities are naturally "cooler" than others.

While there are many ways to tackle this often loaded question, the simplest strategy often is to make a joke of it and say that you are really an Arab wearing a mask. I have tried this a few times - with a good comic effect and if the other person has any sense of humour, he/she would appreciate the reply and perhaps join you in the laughter that will follow.