The purpose of this study was to estimate agreement between primary health care (PHC) physicians and psychiatrists in detecting emotional disorders among patients attending primary health care clinics. One hundred and twenty-three patients attending a PHC clinic in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were assessed independently by both PHC physicians and a consultant psychiatrist. Their assessments consisted of rating anxiety and depressive disorders on a 4-point scale ranging from absent to severe through mild and moderate. Although the PHC physicians had access to some psychiatric training, poor levels of agreement were found for both anxiety and depressive disorders. The authors conclude that what is lacking is the development of psychiatric training schemes designed in such a way to meet the real needs of various homogenous groups of PHC physicians.