The UAE has been ranked the 10th-best destination for expatriates to live and work, based on the high quality of life it offers and job opportunities, according to a report by global network InterNations.
Panama topped the global ranking, with Mexico and Indonesia in second and third place, respectively, InterNations said in its annual Expat Insider 2024 report released on Thursday.
Spain and Colombia were ranked fourth and fifth on the index. Also in the top 10 were Thailand, Brazil, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Some of the worst destinations for expatriates include Kuwait, Turkey, Finland, Germany, Canada and Norway.
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InterNations polled 12,543 people in 174 nations and territories, asking questions based on five categories: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance and an expatriate essentials index, which covers digital life, administration topics, housing and language.
“Expat satisfaction in the UAE is very high in three of the five indices we use to map out life abroad: quality of life (third), working abroad (sixth), and expat essentials (first),” said InterNations, which has more than 4.8 million members.
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has introduced several economic, legal and social reforms in recent years to strengthen its business environment, boost foreign direct investment, attract skilled workers and provide incentives to companies to set up or expand their operations.
In 2019, amendments were introduced to the golden visa initiative to simplify the eligibility criteria and expand the categories of beneficiaries.
The 10-year visa is granted to investors, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals who earn a monthly salary of more than Dh30,000 ($8,167), as well as exceptional talent, scientists and professionals, outstanding students and graduates, property investors, humanitarian pioneers and front-line heroes.
A green visa provides a five-year residency for skilled employees without the need for a sponsor or employer.
The minimum educational level is a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and the salary should not be less than Dh15,000.
Meanwhile, the UAE introduced a one-year digital nomad visa in March 2021 that allows people to live in the Emirates while continuing to work for employers in their home countries.
Dubai also offers a five-year retirement visa for expatriates older than 55.
The UAE was ranked first globally in the Expat Essentials Index category.
Expatriates said that it was easy to live in the UAE without speaking the local language and were happy about the country's administrative services, InterNations said.
This might be linked to the excellent online availability of administrative and government services, it added.
The UAE was ranked third globally in the quality of life category and was top in the subcategories of environmental policies, infrastructure for cars and political stability.
Nearly nine in 10 respondents (or 86 per cent) in the UAE agreed that the government supports policies to protect the environment.
About 91 per cent rated the UAE’s infrastructure for cars positively. Satisfaction with affordability and availability of public transport has also improved compared with 2023, the survey found.
Foreign workers also rated the country's political stability and their personal safety very positively, InterNations said.
The Emirates also ranked 12th globally for health care, with respondents praising the good availability and quality of health care.
Respondents added that they enjoyed the culinary variety, culture and nightlife and opportunities for recreational sport, the survey found.
The UAE was ranked sixth in InterNations’ working abroad category, which covers career prospects, salary and job security.
Foreign workers rated the country’s economy and the local job market positively.
Nearly eight in 10 (or 76 per cent) respondents said that moving to the UAE has improved their career prospects, which is the highest percentage worldwide and 20 percentage points above the global average, according to InterNations.
It also ranked well in the work culture and satisfaction subcategory.
The UAE fared well (16th) in the ease of settling in segment, and was ranked 33rd in the personal finance category.
The best destinations for expats in 2024
- Panama
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Spain
- Colombia
- Thailand
- Brazil
- Vietnam
- The Philippines
- UAE
