UAE ranked among the world’s happiest countries
The UAE has been declared one of the world’s best countries in terms of the quality of life it affords expat residents in a major international study published by InterNations.
The Expat Insider 2023 survey assessed 53 popular expat destinations across multiple categories including quality of life, personal finance, employment opportunities and local infrastructure and services.
UAE a leader across multiple categories
The UAE ranked among the top five countries worldwide in three major disciplines: Quality of Life Index (4th), Working Abroad Index (4th), and Expat Essentials Index (2nd), and 11th overall when taking into account its performance across all survey categories.
The UAE leads the world in terms of key infrastructure and policy making, according to expat survey respondents. For example, the UAE ranked first worldwide for its roads and transport infrastructure, while expats praised government efforts to protect the environment and to encourage business innovation, particularly in terms of promoting entrepreneurship and the ease of securing residency and work visas.
UAE praised for making expats’ lives easier
The UAE also ranked second overall in the report’s Expat Essentials Index, with the country receiving high praise for how easy it makes the transition for expats and their families relocating to the Emirates. Sixty-four percent of all respondents said they hadn’t encountered any issues dealing with the local bureaucracy, compared to 39% worldwide.
“Any paperwork can be done online [in the UAE], thanks to easy access to high-speed internet (9th worldwide) and readily available government services on the web (5th),” the report notes.
“Close to three-quarters of expats (72%) say it is easy to find housing in the UAE, a much higher share than the global average of less than half (49%).”
Quality of life second to none
In terms of the quality of life the UAE offers expat residents, the country’s leisure attractions were cited as major factors enhancing its overall appeal.
“Expats enjoy the culinary variety and dining options on offer (84% happy vs 77% globally), as well as the country’s culture and nightlife (76% vs 68% globally). The UAE ranks fifth worldwide overall in both these categories. It is also easy to get to the restaurants, bars and more,” the report states.
“[There’s also] good news for those who like to explore outside the UAE: 70% of respondents couldn’t be happier with the travel options available, compared to 56% globally,” the report adds.
Healthcare and personal safety noted
The UAE also makes it into the top 10 of surveyed destinations for safety and security (9th overall) and the standard of healthcare (10th) on offer. Close to three-quarters (74%) of all respondents praised the ease of access to all forms of healthcare services in the UAE, compared to 65% globally.
Expats rate the UAE’s political stability (86% happy compared with 63% globally), while personal safety is almost a given, according to respondents (93% vs 83% globally).
Unrivalled career opportunities
Employment opportunities is another area where the UAE leads the world, with the country ranking second only to the United States in the career prospects subcategory.
More than three-quarters (77%) of respondents said that moving to the UAE had improved their opportunities for career progression, compared with just 59% globally. A similar percentage (73%) said the local business culture also encouraged and rewarded creative thinking, compared to just 51% globally.