A herd of camels meanders through the 115-degree heat as sand billows across the abandoned stretch of desert that once was to be a branch campus of George Mason University. Nearby, alongside the road that leads into the tall sand dunes is a sign that reads: "REDUCE SPEED: MOVING SANDS AHEAD." The sign is intended for motorists, of course, but it could double as a warning to American university administrators eager to open branch campuses in the oil-rich Persian Gulf. Institutions from around the world have been intrigued by the idea, and already a half-dozen American universities have set up shop or plan to in the next couple of years. But how easy is it to build a campus from scratch here? In this article, two American universities, George Mason and the American University of Sharjah, offer examples and warnings for those determined to negotiate these shifting sands.