Native Qataris, who number about 250,000 in nation of 1.6 million, are suffering serious health problems that relate directly to a privileged lifestyle paid for with the nation's oil wealth, as well as a determination to hold on to social traditions, like having young people marry their cousins.

While embracing modern conveniences, Qataris have also struggled to protect their cultural identity from the forces of globalization. For many, that has included continuing the practice of marrying within families, even when it predictably produces genetic disorders; such as, blindness and various mental disabilities.

The March of Dimes Foundation, an American charity that focuses on trying to wipe out birth defects, listed Qatar as 16th globally for the incidence of birth defects per 1,000 live birth.

According to some experts, the chief cause of the problem in Qatar is consanguineous marriages. Saudi Arabia ranked second in the world.

In populations where marriage within kin groups is common, both first cousin marriages and intra-group marriages carry an added risk of infant and child mortality.