The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was for a long time one of the poorest countries in the world. By the 1960s, the discovery of oil had totally transformed the economic and social patterns of the country. Oil revenue has given the country one of the highest incomes per capita in the world. With such huge oil wealth, the government has adopted different welfare programmes aimed to improve the living conditions of UAE citizens. The low-cost housing program is one of these welfare programs whereby the government finances the building of finished housing units and allocated them free for those in need. Between 1973 and 1992, the standard of the low-cost house changed dramatically. The built-up area has increased four times while the construction cost has multiplied by 10. The cost of a typical low-cost house in 1994was Dh 450,900 ($121,800).