UAE: A New Home for Expats?

Most Expats Want to Stay in the UAE

For a long time, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has held a special place in the minds of foreign workers and their families. Many initially come for a few years, hoping for better pay, new job opportunities, career advancement, or simply a bolder fresh start. But as the years go by, what begins as temporary becomes habitual, then familiar, and finally, for many, comes the decision: they will stay put.

According to a recent survey, 94 percent of expats living in the UAE plan to remain in the country in the foreseeable future. This is a strong figure in itself, but even more interesting is that the primary reason for staying is no longer just tax-free income. The country's appeal is much more complex today: quality of life, job opportunities, security, stability, and predictable daily life are at least as important as financial benefits.

Not Just About Salary Anymore

Previously, for many foreigners, tax-free salaries were the first thing that came to mind about the UAE. This is understandable since workers in many countries face significant burdens, whereas earning opportunities in the UAE have long been a major draw. However, the recent research indicates that expats' thinking has changed.

In the survey, 88 percent of participants cited quality of life and job opportunities as the main reasons for staying. Security and low crime followed closely at 87 percent, while tax-free income came in fifth, with an 81 percent mention. This doesn't mean money has lost its significance, but rather that the country is no longer solely seen as a financial destination but as a place where many can envision living for the long term.

This is a particularly important change. A country truly becomes a strong expat hub when people not only want to work there but also want to live there. In the case of the UAE, more and more feel that everyday comfort, clean and well-functioning cities, service quality, and professional development opportunities together create a lifestyle that's hard to give up easily.

Dubai and the Quality of Life Question

Dubai is a particularly good example of how the country's perception has changed in the eyes of expats. Many arrive seeing only the work: a contract, an office, a salary, a new career step. However, later on, everyday considerations appear, which become much more important in the long run.

Security is one such aspect. Many highlight that it's safe to move around at night, families feel secure, and children can grow up in a peaceful environment. These are not eye-catching features in promotional material, but they hold vast value in everyday life. In a city where people don't fear going home at night, where public spaces are orderly, and where transportation and services function predictably, it's easier to settle down.

Quality of life is not just about safety, though. Dubai and other cities in the UAE have seen significant development in infrastructure, healthcare, education, transportation, and digital administration over recent years. Residents feel that the country not only wants to maintain its current level but continuously aims to progress. This momentum of development is a strong retention force for many expats.

Professional Opportunities Remain Strong

According to the survey, 87 percent of respondents perceive that the UAE offers more opportunities than their home countries. This data reveals a lot about why so many stay. A significant portion of expats is not just looking for better pay but for a professional environment where they can advance quickly, break into new industries, gain international experience, or even start their own business.

In the UAE, the economy is active in many fields simultaneously. Finance, technology, tourism, real estate, trade, logistics, healthcare, education, and creative industries all play significant roles. This means that a foreign worker is not necessarily confined to a single career path. If they can adapt well, learn, and build connections, they can set out in multiple directions.

According to the survey, many expats appreciate not only the current opportunities but also have trust in the future. Seventy-five percent of respondents expect innovation to further strengthen in the UAE over the next five years. In contrast, only 56 percent anticipate similar growth in their home countries. This difference shows that many don't view the country as a completed success story but as a dynamic, developing system.

Safety, Stability, and Predictability

One of the survey's strongest results is that 97 percent of respondents consider the UAE a safe and stable place to live. This percentage is extremely high, clearly showing that security is not a minor factor but one of the most critical reasons why people want to stay long-term.

Stability is particularly important for those living there with their families. A single worker might more easily move countries if they find a new opportunity. However, for a family, many more aspects matter: schools, healthcare, housing, transportation, community, children's safety, daily routine. When these elements work well, people are less inclined to seek a new country, even if they could potentially find a good salary elsewhere.

The UAE's appeal is not just about spectacular skyscrapers or large investments. Equally important is the everyday order in which many foreigners feel they can plan. Planning is of immense value in a world where economic uncertainty, political tension, or declining public safety make life difficult in many countries.

Strong Confidence in Leadership

According to the research, two-thirds of respondents have more trust in the UAE's leadership compared to their home country's government. Among those who have lived in the country for more than seven years, this proportion increases to three-quarters. This is an important indication because those who have lived there longer are not judging merely based on first impressions. They have experienced everyday operations, administration, regulatory changes, crisis management, and the country's long-term direction.

Trust is not developed overnight. It requires consistency, visible development, functioning institutions, and decisions that bring tangible results in people's lives. In the eyes of expats, one of the great advantages of the UAE is precisely that progress is not just a promise but often visible in actual infrastructure, new services, better urban operations, and faster administration.

It's also important to consider the survey's background

The research involved 708 expatriates aged 18 and over from all seven emirates of the UAE, conducted in April and May 2026. The report notes, however, that 57 percent of respondents were from Western Europe. This was a deliberate weighting by the researchers but does not reflect the entire diversity of the expat population in the country.

This is crucial because the UAE's foreign population is extremely diverse. A Western European professional, a South Asian worker, an Arab family, or an African entrepreneur may all have different experiences. Hence, while the survey results provide a strong picture of a significant expat group's thinking, it should not be regarded as representing all societal and income layers in the same way.

Nevertheless, the trend is clear. The attraction of the UAE remains strong, and the intention to stay is remarkably high. The most important message is that the country is no longer solely attractive because of tax-free income. While money still matters, more and more people feel that the combination of quality of life, security, stability, and professional opportunities provides a much stronger reason to stay.

A New Era for Expats

For a long time, the UAE's expat story was about people coming, working, earning money, and then moving on or returning home. According to the fresh data, this image is changing. Increasingly, more people are viewing the country not as a temporary station but as a long-term dwelling place.

Dubai plays a particularly important role in this change. The city simultaneously offers international careers, modern infrastructure, a comfortable lifestyle, and a sense of security missing from many major cities. People not only look at how much they can earn but also at what kind of life they can build. And the signs indicate that many expats feel that the life they want can be best realized in the UAE.

Therefore, the 94 percent intention to stay is not just a striking figure. It is rather an indication that for many foreigners, the country is not just a workplace but has become a safe, developing, and livable home.

Source: Arabian Business News

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