UAE Emerges As The Top-Rated Destination Globally

In a recent survey, approximately 12,000 expats participated from 177 nationalities, living in 181 countries worldwide. The Expat city ranking survey is a part of Expat Insider by InterNations, which features an annual ranking of the best countries to live & work in for expats. Though the Expat Insider questionnaire respondents share their opinions on life abroad in general and their current city of residence in particular. Topics covered include the city’s leisure options, the search for housing, the local job market, expat’s social life abroad, and more.

The respondent’s ratings of the individual factors were then bundled in various combinations to draw five major topical indices:

• Quality of Life
• Ease of Settling
• Working Abroad
• Personal Finance
• Expat Essentials

The answers from these five indices were then averaged with the answer to the question ‘All things considered, how happy are you with your life abroad in general?’to arrive at the overall city ranking.

Unanimously the top 3 rated destinations in the Expat City Ranking 2022 were:

1^st – Valencia

2^nd – Dubai

3^rd – Mexico City

As a Recruitment Consultant for Professional Services at TASC which specializes in Sales & Marketing, Business Development, Finance & Accounts, Human Resource, Legal & Compliance from Mid- to Senior Management and C-level job opportunities spread across IT, Financial Services, Education, Manufacturing, Management & Consulting, Government, and other industries, we headhunt not only within UAE but also globally, and we are reached by thousands of expats when they plan to move or work in UAE.

In 2022, UAE’s rank went up triple times its previous place of 18^th among 52 countries as a working destination due to these significant considerations:

1. Ease of Entry–The fact that the candidates who reach out to us already know they can literally come to UAE as a first step. Then they would either ask our recruitment team or research and start applying for jobs on their own.

In order to boost the country’s economic growth with foreign direct investment and provision of incentives for companies to set up and expand, UAE has undertaken several economic, social and legal reforms including one of the most attractive to date – the Golden Residence Scheme. On such, there is:

1) A ‘Golden Visa’ valid for 10 years granted to investors, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals who earn a monthly salary of more than Dh30,000 ($8,167), exceptional talents, scientists and professionals, outstanding students and graduates, property investors, humanitarian pioneers, and front-line heroes.

2) A ‘Green Visa’ valid for five years extended to skilled employees, without a need of sponsor or employer, for as long he/she has reached a minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent educational level and would have a salary of not less than Dh15,000.

3) A ‘Nomad (Digital) Visa’ valid for a year and allowing people to live in the country while continuing to work for employers in their home countries.

4) A ‘Retirement Visa’ for five years for expatriates older than 55. With these types of visas, expats are more attracted to come and work – whether temporarily or permanently.

2. “Government system is the best’, says one Indian expat who responded to the survey. Expats have been and continue to be happy living and working in the UAE, particularly in this day and age when all administrative and government services that are expected to be available online are available on a massive scale. You can renew your national ID online with your company's Public Relations Officer (PRO) and avoid going to the government office. You can also open a bank account as a new transferee using your phone and without leaving your office during your induction week. In short, every errand you run is available online and can be completed at your own pace and convenience.
3. Tax-free country results in financial security: Since the government does not deduct personal income taxes from your monthly salary, you can keep the entire amount. This appears to be true for both citizens and expats, along with capital tax. Furthermore, this saves expats the hassle of tax registration and reporting obligations, which are likely to be complicated and taxing in their home country. Most importantly, you have more options for how you spend your money, and you can absolutely use any extra money you save to invest in the country or abroad for financial freedom and success.
4. Ease of access to basic necessities of life: The UAE ranks sixth in terms of the availability and quality of the best health care available. If you decide to stay here permanently, you can rest assured that you will be well-cared for if you require the services of a medical expert or a specialist. If you're traveling with family, the UAE is home to 200 premium schools offering a variety of curriculum including British, Indian, US, French, and International Baccalaureate academic systems. Expats typically prefer private sectors, which account for more than 90% in Dubai. Because the government establishes an index for education costs, school fee increases are governed by the government.

There are numerous other compelling reasons why more and more expats are flocking to work and live in the UAE. Any expat stepping onto the sands of the UAE, basking in the glory of its sun, and easily tanning his or her skin can expect a warm welcome.

An individual recruitment consultant at TASC, relocates on an average about 10% of qualified and skilled Africans to Dubai. On the other hand, AIQU which is a leading IT and tech recruitment brand in the MENA region reported that a solid 40%+ of expat jobseekers from the entire African region, as well as parts of the UK, moved to Dubai for work at the end of the 2022. We can't wait to see how many more we can source and easily relocate this year.

To that end, we would like to return to the same survey and single out those expats living in these ten cities in 2023. Those who are in Rome, Tokyo, Vancouver, Milan, Hamburg, Hongkong, Istanbul, Paris, Frankfurt and Johannesburg, “Habibi, Come to Dubai!”