Why the UAE remains a top choice for expats

Dubai: People often come to the UAE with a plan, work for a few years, gain experience, save money, and eventually move on. But plans can change.

A five-year stay can become a decade. A decade can become 15 years. And for some expatriates, three decades can pass before they realise the country they came to for work has quietly become home. That is the story behind the UAE's continued appeal to expats.

In a recent development, the country has been ranked the fourth-best country in the world for expats this year, behind Panama, Mexico, and Thailand, and was the highest-ranked country in the Middle East, according to the Expat Insider 2026 by Internations.

But the more revealing story lies beyond the ranking but in what expats say about their everyday lives here, feeling safe, finding opportunities, navigating a modern country with relative ease, and living alongside people from across the world.

For Celia Ramos, who has spent 33 years in the UAE, there is no better way to describe it. 

“The UAE has been more than just the place I live, it has become my second home,” Ramos told Gulf News.

Ramos, a senior executive, has arrived at a very different Emirates from the one residents know today. 

“I’m proud to have witnessed the UAE’s incredible progress, from the days with no metro, to now having world-class trains, stunning infrastructure, and endless innovation,” exclaimed Ramos.

But it is not only the physical transformation that has stood out to her. She has admired the country's safety, cleanliness and management, as well as the way the government responds during difficult situations.

“Growing with this country has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.”

Her words have also pointed to a shift that many long-term expats experience, the UAE can begin as a destination and gradually become part of a person's identity and life story.

Safety has been one of the most frequently cited reasons expats value the UAE.

Adela Sacopon, a chef de partie who has lived in the country for 15 years, said simply, “The UAE is the best country because we are safe here to stay.”

She has praised the support she experienced and called the UAE an “amazing place.”

The survey data has backed up the importance expats place on security. 94 percent of respondents have rated their personal safety positively, while 89 percent were satisfied with the country's political stability.

Moreover, the UAE ranked third globally for quality of life, with healthcare availability and quality, restaurants, leisure facilities, road infrastructure, and cultural attractions all receiving positive ratings.

For residents, these have not been abstract measures. They are things experienced in the course of an ordinary day, travelling to work, taking children out, using public services, or simply going about daily life.

For Mayrel Yamson, the UAE's appeal has been closely tied to what happened after she arrived.

Yamson, who works in housekeeping and has spent eight years in the UAE, has noted that the country gives people from different backgrounds an opportunity to build a better life.

“It is safe, organised, and full of opportunities,” described Yamson.

Additionally, she has highlighted the way people from different nationalities live and work together while respecting one another's cultures.

“What I love most about the UAE is the feeling of safety and the opportunities it has given me. I came here to work but over the years, the UAE became more than just a place where I earn a living, it became a second home.”

Yamson has mentioned that she met wonderful people, learned much, and created memories she would always carry with her.

“I will always be grateful to the UAE for being a big part of my life.” 

Relocating to another country can involve a long list of challenges, visas, accommodation, banking, internet access, and government procedures. The UAE has performed strongly on precisely these issues.

It has ranked first out of 31 destinations in the Expat Essentials Index, which measures how easily expats can handle the practical aspects of living abroad.

The country has ranked first for the ease of obtaining a visa and for being able to live without speaking the local language. 80 percent of respondents have regarded the visa process as simple, while 64 percent underscored that accommodation was easy to find. 

Digital government services, cashless payments, high-speed internet, and banking have also contributed to the country's performance.

Walk through a UAE workplace, neighbourhood, or shopping centre, and the country's international character is difficult to miss.

For Basudev Das, a sales manager who has resided in the UAE for 10 years, that diversity has been central to the experience.

“The UAE is one of the best countries for expats because it offers safety, opportunity, diversity, and a high quality of life. People from all over the world can live and work together while respecting different cultures,” shared Das.

Das has valued the peaceful environment, modern lifestyle, and opportunities available in the country.

“The UAE is more than a place to work, it becomes a home away from home.”

For many expats, the story begins with employment. The UAE has ranked third globally in the Working Abroad Index and first for career prospects. More than half of respondents have rated the local employment market positively, while 80 percent said moving to the UAE had improved their career opportunities.

Michael Santome, an animator who has lived in the UAE for five years, has bared that professional growth had been an important part of his experience.

“The UAE is a great country for expats because it offers career opportunities, safety and security, tax advantages, a multicultural environment, a modern lifestyle, and a high quality of life,” explained Santome.

He has pointed out that the UAE had given him opportunities to grow professionally, improve his skills, and meet inspiring people.

“I also love the modern cities, beautiful places, excellent hospitality, and the feeling of being welcomed as an expat.”

Most importantly, Santome has emphasised that the UAE gave him the motivation to work hard, learn more, and build a better future for himself and his family.

The UAE has long attracted people with jobs and business opportunities. But the experiences of expats who have stayed for several years suggest that employment is only the beginning of the story.

Safety can make a person feel settled. Career opportunities can give them a reason to stay. Infrastructure and digital services can make daily life easier. Diversity can make a foreign resident feel less like an outsider. Over time, all those small things can add up to something bigger.

According to the survey, 69 percent of expats said they were happy with life in the UAE.

People may arrive with a return ticket, a short-term contract, or a five-year plan. But somewhere along the way, the country can become woven into their careers, families, memories, and ambitions.

And when the time comes to ask whether it is still the place they want to be, the answer for many is no longer about where they work but where they belong.