Expatriates in The United Arab Emirates - British

British

In 2012, there were an estimated 240,000 Britons living in the country, representing the largest western community in the United Arab Emirates and are made up primarily of English and Scottish expatriates. Prior to 2008, there were 120,000 Brits in the UAE. However after the 2008 UK recession another 120,000 Brits emigrated to the UAE to find work. This doubled the number of Brits to 240,000 within a period of just four years. Most Britons took their entire families with them. Main localities where British nationals are based include Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. A number of Britons working in the UAE are high-salary white-collar job professionals. In the 2010 UK general elections, following the drop in sterling, UAE-based British expats were seen taking advantage by sending increased funds back home to the UK, with the number of dirham trades flowing back to the UK rising by over 40 percent in two days.