Expat Insider 2026 – Dubai

➡️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
• Safe Streets & Smooth Roads
• Admin without the Headache
• A Warm Welcome — Mostly from Other Expats
• Careers Take Off, but the Workweek Is Long
• The Price of the Dubai Dream
• Who Moves to Dubai?

In Brief

Dubai places 4th out of 33 cities in the Expat City Ranking 2026, based on the annual Expat Insider survey by InterNations.* This follows an already strong 10th place out of 53 destinations in 2024, the last time a city ranking was published.

Four of its five indices rank in the top 5: Expat Essentials (2nd), Quality of Life (3rd), Ease of Settling In (4th), and Working Abroad (5th). Only the Personal Finance Index (20th) lands in the lower midfield. All things considered, more than two-thirds of expats (68%) are happy with their life in Dubai (12th).

Safe Streets & Smooth Roads

The Quality of Life Index (3rd) is one of Dubai’s best-ranked indices, and one factor that stands out notably is personal safety: an impressive 96% of expats rate it positively (vs. 81% globally). Expats also have few doubts about the political stability, which 88% rate positively (vs. 58% globally), resulting in an overall 2nd place for Dubai in the Safety & Security Subcategory.

Getting around is another highlight, with Dubai ranking 8th for Travel & Transit. More than nine in ten expats (92%) praise the infrastructure for cars (vs. 73% globally), 82% are happy with the availability of public transport (vs. 72%), and 91% appreciate the opportunity to travel (vs. 84%). Boredom isn’t an issue either: the Leisure Options Subcategory ranks 4th, with around nine in ten rating the culinary variety & dining options (90% vs. 75% globally) and culture & nightlife favorably (87% vs. 67%). Easily available (3rd) and high-quality (4th) healthcare rounds out the picture, though its affordability (20th) could be better.

Dubai’s weakest — though still pretty average — subcategory in the index is Environment & Climate (15th). Just three in five expats (60%) rate the natural environment positively, well below the global average of 84%, and the climate & weather (48% positive vs. 58% globally) divides opinions. In fact, close to a quarter (24%) named the climate among their biggest concerns before moving to the UAE (vs. 15% globally).

Admin without the Headache

Dubai ranks 2nd in the Expat Essentials Index, which covers the practical side of expat life. Dealing with the authorities is remarkably unproblematic, with Dubai placing 1st for this factor: 71% find it easy to deal with the local bureaucracy (vs. 38% globally). What’s more, 78% say it was easy to get a visa to move there (vs. 55%) and 90% rate the availability of administrative services online positively (vs. 61%). Fittingly, only 1% of respondents in Dubai named bureaucracy as a concern before their move, compared to 14% of expats worldwide.

Language is hardly a barrier either (Language Subcategory 3rd): four in five expats (80%) say it’s easy to live in Dubai without speaking the local language (vs. 48% globally). Digital Life (7th) impresses with near-universal cashless payments (2nd) and easy access to high-speed internet at home (3rd). However, only two-thirds of expats (67%) rate the unrestricted access to online services such as social media positively, compared to over four in five (83%) worldwide.

The Housing Subcategory (4th), on the other hand, delights: close to two-thirds (64%) find it easy for expats to find housing (vs. 44% globally) — 41% even very much so (vs. 16%). Affordability gets more mixed reviews, with 45% rating it negatively (vs. 49%).

A Warm Welcome — Mostly from Other Expats

Settling into Dubai is easy, with the city placing 4th in the Ease of Settling In Index. Around three-quarters of expats feel welcome (77% vs. 64% globally) and describe the local population as friendly towards foreign residents (74% vs. 61%). A further two-thirds find it easy to get used to the local culture (68% vs. 60%) and feel at home in the city (67% vs. 61% globally).

Social life, however, comes with an expat flavor: 61% of respondents say their friends and acquaintances are mostly other expats — far above the global average of 37% — while just 3% mainly spend time with local residents (vs. 17% globally). Considering the high share of foreign-born residents in the UAE, this seems hardly a surprise, though.

Careers Take Off, but the Workweek Is Long

Work is what brings expats to Dubai: 42% moved for job-related reasons (vs. 33% globally), with close to a third (32%) having found a job there on their own (vs. 17%). Once employed, they rarely regret it — the Working Abroad Index ranks 5th. An outstanding 81% agree that moving to Dubai has improved their career prospects (vs. 55% globally), placing the Career Prospects Subcategory 2nd. An even higher share of 93% rate the state of the economy positively (vs. 59%), and Dubai places 1st for its local job market.

The trade-off is time. Work & Leisure (23rd) is Dubai’s only below-average subcategory: full-time employees work 46.2 hours per week, four hours more than the global average of 42.2. Accordingly, close to a quarter (24%) are dissatisfied with their work-life balance (vs. 18% globally). Remote work is also less common — 53% of working expats never work remotely (vs. 34%).

The Price of the Dubai Dream

Personal Finance (20th) is Dubai’s weakest index. The high cost of living was expats’ biggest concern before moving, named by 39% (vs. 21% globally). Interestingly, the general cost of living itself receives roughly average marks (35% negative ratings vs. 40% globally) — the squeeze shows elsewhere. Close to two in five expats (37%) feel their disposable household income isn’t enough to lead a comfortable life (vs. 29% globally), and less than half (47%) are satisfied with their financial situation (vs. 55%).

Income levels help explain the gap: 30% of expats in Dubai earn less than 12,000 USD gross per year, double the global average of 15%. And while 54% agree they’re paid fairly for their work, this share is still slightly below the global average (58%).

Who Moves to Dubai?

Dubai’s expat community skews young and career-driven: the average respondent is 41.4 years old (vs. 49.8 globally), and 91% of expats with a job are working full time (vs. 79%). For 43%, Dubai is their first home abroad (vs. 29% globally). The most common nationalities among respondents are Indian (24%), Pakistani (8%), Ugandan (7%), Philippine (6%), and Egyptian (6%). Notably, 23% have dependent children who don’t live abroad with them, nearly triple the global average of 8%.

Not everyone plans to put down roots: 21% want to stay forever (vs. 27% globally), while another 20% see themselves leaving at some point in the far future (vs. 14%). For now, though, life in Dubai delivers on its promise — provided the paycheck keeps up.

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.