Nowhere better embodies the maxim ‘build it and they will come’ than Dubai.
The multi-lane highways of the Middle East’s glitziest multinational metropolis really do seem as though they are paved with gold right now.
While the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long been a favoured destination for British expats for its year-round sun, job opportunities and tax benefits, its appeal is getting wider.
‘The type of people moving is changing. A more mature demographic – a lot of self-made company owners – are planning to relocate,’ says Andrew Cummings, head of residential at Savills Middle East. ‘And it’s no longer just about the tax.’
Enquiries about the UAE from UK nationals rose by almost 70 per cent between 2023 and 2024 for the investment migration firm Henley & Partners. According to Philippe Amarante, head of the company’s Dubai office: ‘The UAE offers precisely what the UK is currently struggling with: safety, political stability, economic growth, a pro-business environment and regulatory certainty.
In addition to the banks, international schools and universities which are drawing a wave of Britons over, he says, retirees are also headed for Dubai’s sunnier climes.
Dubai’s population has ballooned from 1.5million in 2008 to 3.84million in 2025, according to the DXB Interact data platform. In 2023 [latest data from the Dubai Statistics Centre] of the then 3.6million inhabitants, 3.3million were foreign, including an estimated 240,000 Britons.
Beyond the ubiquitous glitz – behind the Sheikh Zayed highway that runs along the coastal strip – there’s a different side to Dubai where more than 200 nationalities live and work.
So what are the things to consider? Here’s our ultimate guide…
Dubai’s streets could be paved with gold for ambitious Britons who want to take advantage of tax breaks
Visas
Visa options are plentiful. The most common type for expats is a standard residency visa, which can be obtained if you are employed or in a Free Zone – one of the more than 40 free-trade zones in the UAE.
Family members can be included with this visa, provided the person sponsored earns a monthly salary of United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) 4,000 (£877), or AED 3,000 (£658) if accommodation is provided by the company.
This visa last three years, and can be renewed by the employer. Female sponsors need a minimum monthly salary of at least AED 10,000 (£2,200), or AED 8,000 (£1,750) including accommodation allowance.
There are also investment-based visas: the ten-year golden visa which requires you to invest in or purchase a property for at least AED 2million (£439,000); a silver visa offers those over 55 a five-year residency permit with a property purchase of AED 1million (£219,000), or an investment of half that sum in a UAE pension fund.
There is also the company formation route (see below) offering the right to live and work with a two-year business permit, plus digital nomad and freelance visas whcih are easy and cheap to obtain.
Job opportunities
Britons moving over to Dubai are active in tech, construction, finance, hospitality, healthcare and education sectors but there’s recently been a ‘huge increase’ in career coaches moving from the UK. Engineering roles are also in high demand.
On Indeed, a website for expat jobs, teaching roles predominate whilst on GulfTalent there’s everything from van salesman to country club manager roles.
Katy Holmes, CEO of the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai, advises Britons thinking of relocating: ‘You should secure jobs before arriving as it’s incredibly competitive’
The average Dubai salary is similar to the UK: AED 190,000 (£40,000) as opposed to to £36,000 in this country. Worth considering, though, are the UAE’s working hours, which come in at an average of 50.9 per week – one of the highest average weekly working hours globally.
Working without a proper permit – for example, on a tourist visa – is illegal in Dubai. And according to Katy Holmes, CEO of the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai, finding a job is much more difficult nowadays: ‘You should secure jobs before arriving as it’s incredibly competitive. In 12 years, I have not seen anything quite like it.’
She says along with all the new arrivals, a lot of established expat residents – especially women – are looking to return to work to meet the rising costs of living.
‘Most British expat families used to be one-income households; now there’s pressure for both parents to work.’
Setting up a business
Setting up a company is another easy and popular route to residency in the UAE. The government strongly supports foreign investment and offers multiple options of business structures for expats.
One of the most popular routes is setting up a Free Zone company under one of the Dubai Free Zones: an economic area governed by its own regulation, where expats can have 100 per cent ownership without the need for a local partner or investor.
Many require just a passport to begin the set-up process. It can take just ten days and costs from around £4,000 (register and licence) according to DMCC, a Free Zone.
‘Professional consulting and services’ is the top choice for nearly half (43 per cent) of the British nationals in IFZA, the International Free Zone Authority, says Julia Timms, its chief commercial officer.
Free Zone companies can benefit from tax exemptions, but the rules are stringent and the types of businesses eligible for Free Zone tax exemptions are limited, so check first.
Education
International schools in the UAE are fast expanding and improving. There are currently 230, with 39 new schools, universities, and nurseries to open in the 2024-25 academic year, according to KHDA, Dubai’s government education department.
While relocation companies and education consultants can advise, the abundance of schools can make the final decision difficult.
Many schools offer a UK curriculum and the higher education system (such as Jumeira University, pictured) is highly regarded
There are 102 offering a UK curriculum, including many British schools that have established themselves in Dubai, such as Brighton College, Jumeriah College (GEMS), GEMS Wellington International School and Royal Grammar School Guildford.
Geography, reputation (check sources such as the Good Schools Guide) and cost play into people’s choices – Repton School Dubai charges up to AED 100,394 (£22,000) per year for day-school seniors, similar to the average London fee of £18,750 plus VAT (according to the Independent Schools Council), while the junior average is nearer £10,000.
Politics and culture
The UAE is a constitutional monarchy made up from a federation of seven constituent monarchies called Sheikhdoms. The Emirate of Dubai is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Islam is the official religion, with over 90 per cent of the Emirati population Sunni Islam.
Islam influences everyday life, dress codes and social customs; school and business hours change during Ramadan.
The UAE has strict rules on social behaviour, drinking, drug possession, traffic violations and financial crimes.
English is widely spoken in schools and business. You need to get a liquor licence to buy alcohol.
Tax perks
The UAE is known as a tax-free haven. It does not levy personal income tax on salaries, investments, or rental income earned within the country, and there is no capital gains tax (CGT), inheritance tax, wealth tax or annual tax on worldwide assets. A 5 per cent VAT applies to goods and services, but rent, groceries and school fees do not attract VAT.
If you set up a company in Dubai, corporate tax is now in place: a 9 per cent corporate tax on taxable profits exceeding AED 375,000 (about £80,000) per year. It is 0 per cent on profits below this threshold, making it attractive for small businesses, according to Hoxton Wealth, a financial advisor.
Small business relief is available to businesses with annual revenues below AED 3million (about £659,000) until the end of 2026. Qualifying businesses pay 0 per cent corporate tax.
Hoxton Wealth warn that even though Dubai has no personal taxes, your UK tax obligations don’t always disappear when you move. The UK’s Statutory Residence Test (SRT) determines whether you are subject to UK tax, depending on time spent in the UK, ties to the UK and time spent working in UAE.
Even if you become a non-UK resident, your UK tax position can still be complex if you retain UK assets. Some of these remain subject to UK tax, such as rental income from a buy-to-let property, UK property sales (CGT) and UK IHT rules which still apply.
You can still access UK state and private pensions while living in Dubai. The UAE does not tax foreign pensions, meaning UK pension income is tax-free in Dubai, but the UK may still tax your UK pension.
Under the UK-UAE Double Taxation Agreement (DTA), UK pension income, with the exception of government service pensions, is taxable only in the UAE if you are tax resident in the UAE. Given that the UAE does not impose personal income tax, this means you can receive your UK pension free from UK tax.
However, you won’t receive annual increases (the triple lock protection).
Beware that if you return to the UK within five tax years of becoming non-resident, most of the tax efficiencies will be reversed. Staying outside of the UK for five full consecutive tax years will help you avoid this.
Cost of living
The cost of living in the UAE is 7.3 per cent lower than in the UK, and Dubai is 24.7 per cent less than London, according to Numbeo.com. Rent is on average 19 per cent lower than London, with a one-bed flat in the centre costing AED 8,288 (£1,818) per month.
According to expat group British Mums in Dubai, a family of four require a household income of AED 50,000 (£10,975) to AED 60,000 (£13,167) per month to live comfortably.
Indulge in some shopping in the Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai City
Montgomery Golf Driving Range with a view of the Dubai Marina skyline beyond
Major costs include housing which might cost AED 200,000-300,000 (£44,000-£66,000), running a car AED 3,000 per month (£658), food shopping from AED 1500 (£329) a week and from AED 2250 (£494) per month for utilities. See also Education and healthcare costs.
Costs can be reduced by shopping in the local markets away from tourist areas; but many busy expats use the app-driven delivery services, where you can have virtually anything dropped to your door in 15-30 minutes.
Gyms cost £60-70 per month.
Housing
Apartment prices (up 3-8 per cent) and their rental rates (+16 per cent) have increased in the past year, according to Savills, with this trend likely to continue.
Young professionals can find a studio apartment to buy in the JVC (Jumeirah Village Circle) area starting at around AED 550,000 (£120,000), with a one-bedroom from AED 920,000 (£200,000).
Popular communities for families include Damac Hills, where a three-bed townhouse costs approximately AED 3,45million (£750,000), or in more affordable Town Square for around £500,000.
Many expats will rent first and maybe buy once they have ‘learnt the city’. The typical rent for a three-bed apartment is around AED 1600 (£3,500). A three-bed villa in the popular Arabian Ranches community might cost £88,000 per year, but two-bed villas in Dubai South cost around £22,000 pa (propertyfinder.ae).
Overseas buyers can get mortgages with a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 50-70 per cent, dependent on their residency status. Buying costs include a 4 per cent stamp duty and 2 per cent broker fees, according to Savills.
Healthcare
Although there’s a public healthcare system, the private sector is the preferred choice for many expats due to shorter wait times and easier access to a wide range of specialists.
Employers will often cover healthcare insurance for expat families but sometimes these policies are upgraded.
The average annual cost of health insurance for an individual in the UAE is AED 6,000 (around £1,300), according to a report from 2023.
Expats do need to pay for a health card to use the public services, which costs £70 for adults.
‘You can’t help but feel the energy in Dubai’
After selling his UK recruitment business Sam Oakes, his wife Keri-Ann and their eight-year-old daughter moved from their home on the Bristol waterside to the Dubai Marina eight months ago.
‘You can’t help but feel the energy here – the feeling that ambition breeds ambition. But we spent a month testing the water, staying in an Airbnb,’ says Sam, 43.
‘I wouldn’t have gone without a secure job offer.’
Sam Oakes and his wife Keri-Ann moved to Dubai from Bristol eight months ago and adore the lifestyle
Sam found a position at a financial planning company, and his visa also covers the family’s private medical care.
They settled their daughter in The Arbor School and rented a two-bedroom duplex apartment in the Marina with an onsite gym. ‘It costs £4,000 a month, but we wanted to be near the beach. We spend £60,000 a year just on rent and school fees.’
Sam also has a podcast, Financial Planner Life, and the family are settled.
‘It’s great being in the sun, so free time is spent at the beach – every weekend feels like a mini holiday,’ he says.
It’s not without its downsides. ‘I miss the English countryside, the greenness, the smells. The air quality and traffic are bad here.
‘It was very tough losing my support group [in the UK] but we plan to be here ten years.’
