Racial prejudice is rife in the Gulf states - people are hired and paid differently depending on their race. A white British teacher (for example) is paid one rate but a British Indian or a black South African will be paid at a lesser rate. It's endemic in the culture out here - overtly and covertly - just look at how an expat gets treated differently from a local in a road traffic accident/incident.

I don't think Filipinos or Indians are being particularly racist when they specify who they want to rent/share rooms with. Ok, it would not be acceptable/legal to do that in the USA, UK, or EU but here it is the way things are done. There are far worse situations to be considered (the human rights and welfare of migrant workers in construction and domestic services, for example).