The two UAE cities take the top two spots in the Expat Essentials Index, and both also rank in the top 10 for quality of life, according to the 2022 Expat City Ranking covering 50 cities worldwide .
In the ranking, Valencia took first place, followed by Dubai, Mexico City, Lisbon, Madrid, Bangkok, Basel, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi and Singapore for the top 10 cities where expats live.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been ranked as the second and ninth best cities in the world, respectively, for expats to live and work in, according to a global ranking published on Tuesday.
The two UAE cities take the top two spots in the Expat Essentials index, and both also rank in the top 10 for quality of life, according to the 2022 Expat City Ranking covering 50 cities worldwide . The ranking is based on InterNations’ annual Exat Insider survey, which is one of the most extensive surveys of living and working abroad. This year, 11,970 expatriates took part in the survey.
The final ranking was made after collecting detailed information on five areas of expat life: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance and the new Expat Essentials, which cover the digital life, administration issues, housing, etc. and language
In the ranking, Valencia took first place, followed by Dubai, Mexico City, Lisbon, Madrid, Bangkok, Basel, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi and Singapore for the top 10 cities where expats live.
On the other hand, expats consider Johannesburg (50th), Frankfurt, Paris, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Milan, Vancouver, Tokyo and Rome (41st) to be the worst cities in the world to live in.
However, Dubai ranks sixth and Abu Dhabi 27th when it comes to working abroad, as expats are generally more satisfied with their jobs and pay. While both cities in the UAE fare quite well on the ease of settling-in index, the personal finance index is their weakest point.
The administration issues subcategory, in which Dubai ranks first, is a highlight, with almost two in three expats (66%) reporting that dealing with bureaucracy or local authorities is easy, compared to only 40% worldwide. This could be partly due to the fact that most expats (88%) are satisfied with the availability of administrative/government services online (compared to 61% overall).
“Basic things can be taken care of, you don’t have to fight for them,” shares an Indian expat.
The ease of settling index (8th) is another highlight for Dubai, with the city ranking in the top 10 in all three sub-categories of the index. Expats are happy with their social life (68% happy vs. 56% overall) and feel welcome there (81% vs. 66% overall). Expats are equally satisfied with the quality of life index (6th), with Dubai ranking fifth for both the travel and transit options and leisure options subcategories.
Almost all expats in Dubai (95 percent) are satisfied with car infrastructure (vs. 75 percent globally), and 80 percent are even very satisfied with this factor (vs. 43 percent hundred worldwide). There seems to be plenty of reason to make use of this infrastructure, as Dubai ranks fifth for culture and nightlife, as well as third for culinary variety and dining options. Apart from the great leisure opportunities, expats are also satisfied with their working lives, with Dubai ranking sixth in the Work Abroad Index.
One of the most sought-after global destinations for talent, entrepreneurs, tourists and shoppers, Dubai ranks fifth in the Work Culture and Satisfaction subcategory, with 70% of expats happy with their jobs (compared to 64 % globally) and 78% report that the local business culture encourages creativity (compared to 51% globally).
According to the survey, more than four in five (82%) also feel that moving to Dubai has improved their career prospects (compared to 60% globally). Despite their overall job satisfaction, their income may not be enough: more than one in three expats (34%) say their disposable household income is not enough to lead a comfortable life there (compared to 28 % world).
“This is one of the factors leading to Dubai’s mediocre performance in the personal finance index (28th),” the survey report said.
The capital is the best performer in the Expat Essentials index (2nd), coming just behind Dubai. As in Dubai, expats are particularly satisfied with the administration issues subcategory (4a): expats find it easy to open a local bank account (74% satisfied vs. 64% overall) and deal with local bureaucracy ( 53% vs. 40% globally).
Additionally, 72% say it is easy for expats to find housing (compared to 54% globally). However, while Dubai (6th) excels in the Work Abroad Index, Abu Dhabi ranks only in the middle of the field (27th). While three out of four expats in Abu Dhabi (75%) believe that moving there has improved their career prospects (compared to 60% globally), 31% feel they are being paid unfairly for their work ( compared to 20% overall). Perhaps it could also be related to the perception of low wages that the city places in the bottom 10 for expats’ satisfaction with their financial situation (43rd), leading to a below-average ranking in personal finance index (34th).
In Abu Dhabi, expats are fairly satisfied with ease of settling in index (12th). Around three in four (72%) describe the local population as friendly to foreign residents (compared to 65% globally). After settling in, expats find a high quality of life (8th) in Abu Dhabi. The city claims first place for both availability of healthcare and quality of medical care in the Health and Wellness subcategory (1st), compared to Dubai’s 13th place in this subcategory. Although the capital ranks well below Dubai for leisure options (21st vs. 5th, respectively), both Abu Dhabi and Dubai perform very well when it comes to personal safety (3rd vs. 2nd, respectively) .