UAE moves up list of best places for expats
▶ Country praised for quality of life in research by HSBC
The UAE has moved up two places to rank as the 10th best country in the world for expatriates.
HSBC’s latest Expat Explorer survey, published yesterday, ranked the UAE 10th overall, fifth for economics, 20th for experience and 24th for family.
The report described the UAE as offering expatriates “exceptional quality of life, with modern accommodation and medical facilities, good international schools and a highly-developed infrastructure.”
It said the UAE ranked 5th for safety, 35th for property and 19th for integration.
“There’s plenty to keep you entertained in the lively cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including long beaches, excellent restaurants and famous shopping malls,” the report said.
“All this comes at a price, though. The cost of living in the UAE has increased over recent years. And while expat salaries are still high, benefits packages aren’t as comprehensive as they used to be.”
YouGov, on behalf of HSBC, surveyed 27,587 expatriates from 159 countries in March and April.
There were 987 foreign nationals from the UAE who took part. The respondents were asked to assess their levels of financial, professional and personal fulfilment in three key areas: economics, experience and family.
“Expats living in the UAE are rewarded for their hard work,” the report said.
It said expatriates earned an average annual salary of about Dh466,480, which is about 27 per cent higher than the global average for those who took part in the study.
“Income was a key factor for many in making the decision to move to the UAE,” the report said. “Since 2016, there has been a 10 percentage point uplift in the number of expats who say earnings potential here is better than in their home country.”
The UAE placed fifth for wage growth, sixth for entrepreneurship, ninth for career progression, 19th for economic confidence, 22nd for work-life balance and 26th for job security.
“With such a high level of satisfaction and low levels of risk, it comes as little surprise that the UAE’s huge appeal for expatriates is not only here to stay, but that an increasing number are keen to settle for the longer term,” said Matt Colebrook, of HSBC Middle East.
The survey showed that 41 per cent of respondents said one reason they moved to the UAE was to improve quality of life.
Most of the respondents, 60 per cent, said they had been in the UAE for more than five years, which is 8 per cent more than the global average.
Fifty-five per cent said that they enjoyed a better work-life balance than they did back at home, while 62 per cent claimed their overall quality of life had improved.
“Despite cyclical macro-economic issues and rising expenses, the fundamentals of the UAE remain strong,” Mr Colebrook said.
“We also see that a majority of expats realise that the Government has continually worked to enhance the living conditions of those who choose to
Expatriates in the UAE rated quality of life and services very highly, but those came at a cost, the HSBC survey found
make this country their home.”
But the UAE is expensive place for expatriates educating their children in private schools.
“It’s no longer standard practice to include an education allowance in expat employment packages so you’ll need to budget for school fees, along with all the additional costs such as uniforms, textbooks, transport and extracurricular activities,” the report said.
Overall, Singapore was ranked the best country for expatriates. New Zealand was listed as the best destination for experience, with 58 per cent of respondents saying they moved there to improve their quality of life.
The Netherlands was top for family, with 76 per cent of respondents noting the health benefits for children, while 72 per cent cited the Netherlands’ high quality of education.