Ras Al Khaimah has been ranked among the best global cities for expatriates to live and work, based on easy administration, affordable housing and ease of settling in, according to a report by global network InterNations.
The city ranked sixth on the index of 53 destinations, followed by Abu Dhabi in ninth position and Dubai in 10th place, InterNations said in its annual Expat City Ranking 2024 report.
Spanish cities dominated the top places in the index, with Valencia topping the global ranking, and Malaga and Alicante in second and third place.
Rounding off the top 10 were Panama City, Mexico City, Madrid and Bangkok.
Some of the worst cities for expatriates include Vancouver, Hamburg, Toronto, Munich, Istanbul, Cologne and Milan.
InterNations polled 12,543 people in 175 nations and territories, asking questions based on five categories: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance and an expatriate essentials index, which covers digital life, administration topics, housing and language.
“Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai occupy the top 3 of the expat essentials index, thanks to easy administration, comparatively affordable housing, and more. And they perform pretty well when it comes to working abroad, with only Abu Dhabi missing out on the top 10 of the index, ranking 12th,” InterNations said.
“However, that’s where the similarities end: while Ras Al Khaimah stands out for great personal finances (ranking eighth globally), Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer the better quality of life (ranking seventh and eighth globally, respectively).”
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has introduced several economic, legal and social reforms in recent years to strengthen its business environment, increase foreign direct investment, attract skilled workers and provide incentives to companies to set up or expand their operations.
In 2019, amendments were introduced to the Golden Visa initiative to simplify the eligibility criteria and expand the categories of beneficiaries. The 10-year visa is granted to investors, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals who earn a monthly salary of more than Dh30,000 ($8,167), as well as exceptional talent, scientists and professionals, outstanding students and graduates, property investors, humanitarian pioneers and front-line workers.
A green visa provides a five-year residency for skilled employees without the need for a sponsor or employer.
The UAE also introduced a one-year digital nomad visa in March 2021 that allows people to live in the Emirates while continuing to work for employers in their home countries. Dubai also offers a five-year retirement visa for potential residents older than 55.
The Emirates was ranked the 10th-best destination for expatriates to live and work, based on the high quality of life it offers and job opportunities, according to a July report by InterNations.
Ras Al Khaimah ranked as the world's top city for expatriates to get started abroad and second globally for affordable housing, with 72 per cent of respondents polled by InterNations saying it’s easy to find housing compared to 45 per cent globally.
The emirate also ranked second for working abroad, in addition to ranking fifth globally for ease of settling in, the survey found. the main benefits the study showed were the ease of living without speaking the local language and accessing government services online.
However, it ranked 28th globally for quality of life. “A few things still need ironing out when it comes to travel and transit and leisure options. Despite having excellent infrastructure for cars, less than half of expats there are happy with the availability of public transportation,” the report said.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai ranked first and second globally, for the subcategories of admin topics and language.
The cities scored well in terms of obtaining a visa, opening a bank account and the availability of government services. They are also the easiest places in the world for expatriates to get by without speaking the local language, according to InterNations.
Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai occupy the top 3 of the expat essentials index, thanks to easy administration, comparatively affordable housing, and more
InterNations
The study revealed that 80 per cent of expats said it’s easy to obtain a visa to move to Abu Dhabi (versus 53 per cent globally) and 83 per cent can live there without speaking Arabic (compared to 48 per cent globally).
Abu Dhabi also ranked seventh among global cities for quality of life, the InterNations survey found.
The UAE’s capital city ranked first globally for car infrastructure, while expats also praised the availability of healthcare and the ease of getting high-speed internet access at home, according to InterNations.
Dubai was ranked eighth globally for quality of life, according to InterNations. Most expats praised the availability and quality of healthcare centres in the city, which also ranked eighth globally for culinary and dining options and 10th for culture and nightlife.
The emirate also ranked ninth globally in the working abroad subindex, the survey found.
Muscat ranked fifth, Jeddah sixth, Doha eighth, and Riyadh 10th on the Expat Essentials index.
Top 10 global cities for expatriates to live and work in 2024
- Valencia
- Malaga
- Alicante
- Panama City
- Mexico City
- Ras Al Khaimah
- Madrid
- Bangkok
- Abu Dhabi
- Dubai
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Scores:
Day 4
England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)
Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
