DUBAI: Foreign migrant workers make up nearly 90 percent of the population in the UAE’s seven emirates, making it one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world. But expatriates have never been given the chance to apply for, or shown a pathway to, citizenship. Now, legal reforms adopted by the UAE leadership that overturn this longstanding practice are being hailed as a potentially transformative development for the country’s future. Given the similarities in the policy-development processes of the Arab Gulf countries, some experts wonder whether the UAE’s move could become a bellwether for other GCC countries that are trying to diversify their economies and grappling with identical population challenges. In a tweet, Kuwaiti investor and adviser Ali Al-Salim called the Emirati citizenship offer “a game changer for the Gulf.”