Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates

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.

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
Languages
English (lingua franca) • Arabic • Hindi • Malayalam • Urdu • Pashto • Tagalog • Persian • Russian • Others
Religion
Islam • Christianity • Hinduism • Others
Related ethnic groups
Expatriates in Kuwait

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

History and background

A number of immigrants settled in the country prior to independence. 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. The country's relatively liberal society compared to some of its neighbours has attracted many global expatriates, including people from the Western nations. Many immigrants were also attracted by its tax-free status.

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. As a result, thousands of middle-class workers left the country. Saudi Arabia is competing with Dubai to attract these expatriates. The absence of an easy route to citizenship is another cause of emigration. 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.

Legal status

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.

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations

This section covers Arab populations from the Middle East and North Africa.

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Algerians	~10,000 (2014)
Bahrainis	Unknown	Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) membership enables Bahraini nationals to enter the UAE without restrictions.
Egyptians	480,000 (2025)
Iraqis	>200,000	Iraqis have contributed significantly to the UAE as engineers and politicians, most notably Adnan Pachachi.
Jordanians	250,000 (2009)	One of the largest Jordanian diaspora communities.
Kuwaitis	Small community	Includes around 1,000 students. GCC nationals can live and work in UAE without restrictions.
Lebanese	80,000–156,000 (2025)	Many are involved in business and media. Notable nationals include Antoine Choueiri and Elias Bou Saab.
Libyans	Variable	Many Libyans who lived in exile returned to Libya after the fall of the former regime.
Mauritanians	~5,000
Moroccans	100,000	Largest group of Maghreb migrants in the country.
Omanis	>9,000 (2003)	GCC members. Many work in the officer corps and police forces. UAE is a popular destination for Omani students.
Palestinians	200,000	One of the largest non-citizen Arab communities.
Qataris	Variable	GCC citizens. Relations were affected by the 2017–18 Qatar diplomatic crisis but family members were often exempt from bans.
Saudis	5,595 (2008)	GCC members. Working mostly in commerce, industry, medicine, law, and insurance.
Somalis	>100,000	Strong entrepreneurial presence (gold stores, hotels, internet cafes). The Somali Business Council regulates 175 companies.
Sudanese	75,000 (2013)	Mainly based in Dubai.
Syrians	>242,000	Prominent in media, real estate, fashion, and business. Notable residents have included Ronaldo Mouchawar and Michel Chalhoub.
Tunisians	~39,238 (2014)	Served by the Tunisian Business Council in Abu Dhabi.
Yemenis	>90,000 (2013)	Notable Emirati-naturalized Yemeni: Singer Balqees.

West Asian populations (Non-Arabs)

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Armenians	~5,000
Azerbaijanis	~12,000
Iranians	540,000 (2025)	Largest non-citizen West Asian community.
Israelis	~7,000 (2025)	Relations normalised in 2020. Before this, Israelis with dual citizenship entered via other passports.
Turks	~44,500 (2024)	Rose from 8,000 in 2010. Many Turkish doctors have moved to Dubai in recent years.

Sub-Saharan African populations

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Angolans	~1,200
Chadians	9,246 (2019)
Comorians	~1,000+	Many are stateless Bedoon who obtained Comorian passports via investment deals.
Eritreans	3,000–4,000 (2010)
Ethiopians	~100,000	Significant presence in domestic work, aviation, and hospitality.
Ghanaians	over 300
Kenyans	30,000 (2024)
Nigerians	50,000–100,000	Faced labour policy issues in 2021.
Senegalese	700–800
South Africans	~100,000 (2014)
South Sudanese	Small community	Primarily Christian; Flydubai operates flights to Juba.
Ugandans	~70,000

Central Asian populations

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Afghans	~300,000 (2023)	Largest Afghan community in the Arab world. Significant business presence (e.g., Azizi Group).
Kazakhs	5,000–6,000 (2015)
Kyrgyz	~4,000 (2012)
Uzbeks	~14,000 (2016)

East Asian populations

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Chinese	Significant
Japanese	~4,000	Largest Japanese community in the Arab world. ~105 Japanese companies in Jebel Ali Free Zone (2007).
South Koreans	~3,100	Largest South Korean population in the Arab world. Includes many airline crew and businessmen.
North Koreans	~1,300	Primarily labourers.
Taiwanese	~400

South Asian populations

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Bangladeshis	1.2 million (2024)	Major source of labour force. Remittances exceeded US$512.6M in 2005–06.
Bhutanese	Small community
Indians	4.3 million (2024)	Largest expatriate group.
Nepalese	>225,000 (2014)	Mostly construction, hospitality, and security workers.
Pakistanis	1.9 million (2025 estimate)	Second largest expatriate group.
Sri Lankans	320,000 (2023)	Second largest Sri Lankan diaspora in the world.

Southeast Asian and Oceanian populations

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Australians	~20,000 (2024)	Population fluctuated during 2009 financial crisis. Served by the Australia-New Zealand Association.
Fijians	Hundreds	Includes native and Indo-Fijians. Often work in retail, hospitality, security and aviation.
Filipinos	~780,000 (2025)	One of the largest groups.
Indonesians	Significant
Malaysians	~6,000 (2010)
New Zealanders	~4,000
Samoans	Very small	Active in rugby. Notable: Apollo Perelini.
Singaporeans	~2,100
Thais	~8,000+
Vietnamese	>5,000

North and South American populations

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Americans	~50,000 (2024)	One of the largest Western expatriate communities.
Argentines	~2,000	Primarily pilots, bankers, and footballers (including Diego Maradona previously).
Brazilians	~5,500 (2020)	Many work for Emirates airline (over 100 pilots and 600 stewards as of 2010) and in football.
Canadians	~60,000 (2024)	Hosts Canadian University Dubai.
Colombians	~8,500	Largest Latin American community. Notable athletes include Kevin Agudelo.
Mexicans	~3,000
Peruvians	~300	Strong presence in F&B sector.
Venezuelans	~1,200 (2015)	Mostly in oil and gas.
Caribbean (Various)	~2,000 (2014)	Includes populations from Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.

European populations

Nationality	Estimated Population	Notes and References
Albanians	200–300
Austrians	1,800
Belarusians	~2,500
Belgians	~3,000
Bosnians	1,000–2,000
British	~240,000 (2024)	Long-standing community dating back to the Trucial States era.
Bulgarians	~7,000	Largest Bulgarian population in the Arab world.
Croatians	>2,500
Cypriots	~1,000
Czechs	~1,500 (2015)
Danes	~2,000 (2010)
Dutch	~4,500 (2011)
Finns	~1,180
French	~45,000 (2024)	Close to 300 French enterprises operate in the country.
Germans	~10,000	Three German schools exist in the UAE.
Greeks	>5,500	Community includes >300 Greek companies. Greek Orthodox Church of St Nikolaos is in Abu Dhabi.
Irish	~10,000
Italians	~10,000
Latvians	~300
Norwegians	1,500–2,000
Poles	~9,000	Largest Polish population in the Arab world.
Portuguese	~4,000
Romanians	~6,444
Russians	~500,000 (2024 estimate)	Includes 40,000 nationals plus others from CIS states. Huge presence in real estate and tourism.
Serbs	~5,000
Slovaks	~1,000
Slovenians	100–150
Spaniards	~2,500
Swedes	>3,000
Swiss	~2,430
Ukrainians	~5,000 (2014)