What sort of drivel is this? Locals in Abu Dhabi are in the minority and the majority of expats are in subservient positions and would never see locals as friends but only as employer or master.
Many of those in the expat 'elite' (the high wage earners) are only there to make the dosh and socialise with other expat 'elite' on the golf course or one of the many expat clubs and they have little or no desire to make friends with locals, sad but true. What group did the survey focus on?
I love Abu Dhabi, have worked and lived there for many years and find the locals that I know to be some of the most hospitable and friendly folks I have ever met in my travels around the world.