Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates

"Migrants in the United Arab Emirates" redirects here. For the foreign workers who have moved to the UAE for work, see Migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates.
Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates
Total population
9.66 million (2025 est.)
Approximately 89% of the UAE population
Regions with significant populations
Dubai • Abu Dhabi • Sharjah
Languages
English (lingua franca) • Arabic • Hindi • Malayalam • Urdu • Pashto • Tagalog • Persian • Russian • Others
Religion
Islam • Christianity • Hinduism • Others
Related ethnic groups
Expatriates in Kuwait

Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates represent about 89% of the population, while Emiratis constitute roughly 11% of the total population, making the UAE home to the world's highest percentage of expatriates after the Vatican City.[1][2]

Most immigrants reside in Dubai and the capital, Abu Dhabi.[3] The UAE is home to over 200 nationalities.[4] Indians and Pakistanis form the largest expatriate groups in the country, constituting 28%[5] and 16% of the total population respectively.[6] Westerners in the United Arab Emirates make up around 5% of its total population.[7][8]

History and background

A number of immigrants settled in the country prior to independence.[9][10] The United Arab Emirates attracts immigrants from all over the world; this may be because UAE nationals prefer to work for the government or military.[11][12] The country's relatively liberal society compared to some of its neighbours has attracted many global expatriates, including people from the Western nations.[13] Many immigrants were also attracted by its tax-free status.[14][15]

However, since the late 2010s, an influx of high-net-worth individuals has significantly increased the cost of living, especially housing and private school fees. The UAE went from being the 90th most expensive destination for expatriates in 2013 to the 31st in 2023.[14] As a result, thousands of middle-class workers left the country.[14] Saudi Arabia is competing with Dubai to attract these expatriates.[16] The absence of an easy route to citizenship is another cause of emigration.[15] Lower-paid expatriates are less affected by the local inflation as they work in manual professions such as construction and cleaning where their employers pay for their rent, electricity and transportation.[17]

Under Article 8 of UAE Federal Law no. 17, an expatriate can apply for UAE citizenship after residing in the country for a period not less than 30 years providing that person has maintained a good reputation, has never been convicted of a crime and is fluent in Arabic.[18]

Nationalities

This section is an excerpt from Demographics of the United Arab Emirates § Nationalities.[]

The UAE government does not publish demographic data regarding nationality. The table below records estimates of various reliable sources.

UAE population by nationality
Nationals of Population Year of data
India India 4,300,000[19] 2025
Pakistan Pakistan 1,700,000[20] 2025
UAE 1,310,000[citation needed] 2025
Bangladesh Bangladesh 1,200,000[21] 2024
Philippines Philippines 700,000[22] 2026
Iran Iran 600,000[23] 2025
Nepal Nepal 450,000[24] 2025
Egypt Egypt 400,000[25] 2022
China China 370,000[26] 2025
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 300,000[27] 2021
Afghanistan Afghanistan 300,000[28] 2025
Palestine Palestine 300,000[29] 2023
Syria Syria 242,000[30] 2017
United Kingdom United Kingdom 240,000[31] 2026
Jordan Jordan 200,000[32] 2024
Ethiopia Ethiopia 200,000[33] 2025
Lebanon Lebanon 200,000[34] 2025
Sudan Sudan 200,000[35] 2023
Uganda Uganda 160,000[36] 2024
Russia Russia 150,000[37] 2025
South Africa South Africa 100,000[38] 2018
Morocco Morocco 100,000[39] 2019
Indonesia Indonesia 100,000[40] 2019
Nigeria Nigeria 100,000[41] 2026
Iraq Iraq 100,000[42] 2025
Yemen Yemen 99,638[43] 2019
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 85,000[44] 2018
Somalia Somalia 80,000–100,000[45] 2018
Turkey Turkey 60,000[46] 2025
France France 64,000[47] 2026
Canada Canada 60,000[48] 2025
United States United States 50,000[49] 2018
Kenya Kenya 40,000[50] 2025
Tunisia Tunisia 25,000[51] 2025
Ukraine Ukraine 30,000[52] 2024
Algeria Algerian 30,000[53] 2020
Australia Australia 25,000[54] 2025
Thailand Thailand 19,000[55] 2025
Italy Italy 18,671[56] 2024
South Korea South Korea 13,000[57] 2019
Brazil Brazil 12,000[58] 2022
Germany Germany 10,000[59] 2022

See also

References

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allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinians_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates