Expat Insider 2025: The World Through Expat Eyes

Long Hours for a Great Life in the UAE

The UAE once again ranks among the best countries for expats. But it’s not all happy sunshine.

In Brief
Hard at Work in the UAE
Only Spain Offers a Better Quality of Life
A Pleasant Social Life
Paperwork? No Problem!
The Typical Expat in the UAE
Further Reading
External Resources

Country report for the UAE: 7th overall out of 46 countries; details in description

In Brief

A high Quality of Life (2nd) and no issues when it comes to the Expat Essentials (1st), such as housing and language, mean that the UAE once again places in the top 10 of the Expat Insider survey, ranking 7th out of 46 destinations in 2025.

The Working Abroad (5th) and Ease of Settling In (11th) Indices are nothing to scoff at either, with the country receiving its “worst” result in an index for Personal Finances (24th). All in all, close to seven in ten expats in the UAE (69%) say they’re happy with their life abroad (vs. 67% globally).

What I like about the UAE? The friendly atmosphere, genuine ambition for the country, and open possibilities. (German expat in Ras Al Khaimah)

Opinion

Hard at Work in the UAE

Work remains a major motivation for relocating to the UAE, with 58% of expats naming job-related reasons (vs. 36% globally). So, the country’s 5th place in the Working Abroad Index is certainly great news — even if the underlying results vary.

For the second year in a row, respondents rate the UAE’s economy as the best in the world (1st). And they appreciate the good job market (3rd) and personal career opportunities (2nd) that come with it. In fact, close to four in five expats (78%) find moving to the UAE has improved their career prospects, over 20 percentage points more than the global average of 55%.

However, not everything’s perfect: the UAE ranks below average when it comes to working hours (30th) and work–life balance (34th). At 46.2 hours, respondents in full-time jobs report an average work week that’s nearly four hours longer than the global average (42.5 h).

Working hours are too much, I hardly have time for family. (Zimbabwean expat in Ras Al Khaimah)

Opinion

Only about half (54%) agree they’re paid fairly for their work based on the industry, their qualifications, and the like. While this is only a little below the global average of 57%, the impact seems clear in the Personal Finance Index (24th). Two in five expats (40%) find their disposable household income is not enough to lead a comfortable life (vs. 31% globally) — despite comparatively average living costs (17th).

Only Spain Offers a Better Quality of Life

According to expats, the UAE offers a great Quality of Life (2nd). They for example highlight the local infrastructure for cars (2nd), the political stability (2nd), and their personal safety (1st).

The affordability of healthcare (25th) could be better, but over four in five expats are at least satisfied with its quality (82% vs. 67% globally) and general availability (81% vs. 68%). Add to that a 6th place in the Leisure Options Subcategory, and it’s no surprise respondents praise life in the UAE.

In my opinion, it’s one of the safest and best planned countries in terms of infrastructure. It provides the best quality. (Indian expat in Abu Dhabi)

Opinion

Find out more in our article on the Quality of Life Index.

Of course, the best quality of life is worth little if you’re feeling lonely. Luckily, expats in the UAE have little to fear in that regard. The Ease of Settling In Index only just misses out on a place in the top 10 in 2025, ranking 11th.

Around three-quarters of respondents feel welcome (78% vs. 62% globally) and agree people there are friendly towards foreign residents (74% vs. 60%). The local culture is easy to get used to (8th), too, and expats are happy with their social life (9th).

But while an above-average share of 46% say befriending locals is easy (vs. 38% globally), few end up with mostly local friends (3% vs. 16% globally). Considering how expats vastly outnumber the Emirati population, this is not a huge surprise, though.¹

Paperwork? No Problem!

Whether you’re newly arrived or have been living in the UAE for a while, one thing is sure: handling the basics is a piece of cake. The country once again places 1st in the Expat Essentials Index, with top 10 spots in three of its four subcategories. And Housing (12th) only just misses out.

In the UAE, expats are much more likely than the average to agree it’s easy to get a visa (79% vs. 53% globally), find housing (68% vs. 44%), and get by without speaking the local language (82% vs. 47%). Plus, the country ranks 1st for the online availability of admin and government services. The one big downside: access to online services in general (e.g., social media) is not necessarily unrestricted (42nd).

Find out more in our article on the Expat Essentials Index.