Expat Insider 2026 – Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi, expats praise the safety, admin & career boost, but pay and work-life balance lag behind.
➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.
In this article:
In Brief
Abu Dhabi lands in 5th place out of 33 cities in the 2026 Expat City Ranking, based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations.
It ranked 9th out of 53 in 2024 — the last time a city ranking was published. The Expat Essentials Index (3rd) leads its results, followed by Quality of Life (4th), Ease of Settling In (7th), and Working Abroad (9th). The Personal Finance Index (24th) is the clear outlier — and it shows: despite four top-10 indices, only 62% of expats are happy with their life in Abu Dhabi (vs. 70% globally), ranking the city just 21st for overall happiness.
Safe Streets & Top-Tier Healthcare
The Quality of Life Index (4th) rests on a deep sense of security: 92% of expats rate their personal safety positively (vs. 81% globally) — 84% even call it very good — and 88% praise the political stability (vs. 58%). Healthcare (4th) impresses across the board, with 87% rating the quality of medical care positively (vs. 71% globally) and 85% happy with its availability in the city (vs. 71%).
Getting around is nearly frictionless (Travel & Transit 3rd): around nine in ten expats appreciate the infrastructure for cars (91% vs. 73% globally), praise the affordability of public transport (87% vs. 70%), and find it easy and safe to get around on foot or by bicycle (86% vs. 78%). Foodies are spoiled as well — 90% rate the culinary variety and dining options positively (vs. 75% globally).
The main drawback in the index is the desert climate: only about a third (35%) rate the climate and weather positively (vs. 58% globally), and over a fifth (21%) named it a concern before moving (vs. 15%).
Red Tape? What Red Tape?
Abu Dhabi ranks 3rd in the Expat Essentials Index, powered by great results across all its four subcategories. More than four in five expats (81%) say it was easy to get a visa to move there (vs. 55% globally), 72% find it easy to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 38%), and an outstanding 91% rate the availability of administrative services online positively (vs. 61%) — in fact, not a single respondent rates it negatively. Fittingly, just 1% named bureaucracy a concern before relocating (vs. 14% globally).
The rest of daily life runs just as smoothly. In the Language Subcategory (2nd), 83% say it’s easy to live in Abu Dhabi without speaking the local language (vs. 48% globally). Digital Life (6th) delivers with easy cashless payments (4th) and seamless high-speed internet at home (2nd). But on the flip side, Abu Dhabi ranks second to last when it comes to the unrestricted access to online services such as social media (32nd).
Housing (6th) works in expats’ favor when it comes to the search itself: 54% find it easy to find housing (vs. 44% globally) — though its affordability (53% negative ratings vs. 49%) remains a sore point.
A Job Magnet That Delivers Careers
No other city in the ranking is as clearly work-driven: more than half of expats (52%) moved to Abu Dhabi primarily for a job they had found or applied for themselves, over triple the global average of 17%. In total, job-related reasons account for 59% of all moves (vs. 33% globally).
The bet mostly pays off, with Abu Dhabi ranking 9th in the Working Abroad Index, including a 3rd place in its Career Prospects Subcategory. Close to four in five expats (78%) agree that moving has improved their career prospects (vs. 55% globally), and around two-thirds (66%) are satisfied with their personal career opportunities (vs. 52%). The economy inspires unusual confidence — 94% rate it positively (vs. 59% globally), with zero negative ratings.
The Work & Leisure Subcategory (26th) tells the other half of the story. Full-time employees work 44.7 hours per week, about two and a half hours more than the global average of 42.2, and only 53% are satisfied with their work-life balance (vs. 62% globally). Remote work is rare: close to two-thirds (65%) never work remotely, nearly double the global average of 34%.
The Paycheck Problem
The Personal Finance Index (24th) exposes Abu Dhabi’s biggest weakness. Only 44% of working expats agree they’re paid fairly for their work (vs. 58% globally) — 16% strongly disagree, more than double the global average of 7%. The high cost of living was expats’ top concern before moving (34% vs. 21% globally), and two in five (40%) now feel their disposable household income isn’t enough for a comfortable life (vs. 29% globally). Tellingly, not one respondent describes their income as a lot more than enough (vs. 7% globally).
Income levels explain much of it: 38% of expats in Abu Dhabi earn less than 12,000 USD gross per year, well over double the global average of 15%. Accordingly, less than half (47%) are satisfied with their financial situation (vs. 55% globally).
Who Moves to Abu Dhabi?
Abu Dhabi’s expat community is young and working hard: the average respondent is 40.4 years old (vs. 49.8 globally), 96% of working expats are employed full time (vs. 79%), and hospitality (19% vs. 5% globally), education (13%), and healthcare (10%) are the top fields.
Ugandans (13%), Filipinos (11%), and Indians (11%) are the largest groups among respondents, and for 44%, the UAE is their first home abroad (vs. 29% globally). Like in Dubai, many support families from afar: 21% have dependent children who don’t live abroad with them (vs. 8% globally).
Settling in is comparatively easy (Ease of Settling In 7th) — 66% feel welcome, and 64% feel at home there, mostly in line with the global averages (64% and 61%) — even if half (51%) socialize mostly with other expats (vs. 37% globally). Still, few plan to grow old in the emirate: only 14% want to stay forever (vs. 27% globally), while 25% expect to leave within the next five years or sooner (vs. 21%). Abu Dhabi delivers careers and a high quality of life — the finances are another matter.
The Typical Expat in Abu Dhabi
Please note that this year’s Expat Insider survey was conducted by InterNations from 1 February to 31 March 2026. Since data collection took place both before and after the outbreak of the US-Iran war, the findings should be interpreted as only partially reflecting its impact on expats living in the UAE.
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