UAE businesses and healthcare providers are stepping up efforts to support the well-being and quality of life of the growing number of older residents laying down roots in the country.
Significant changes to residency rules in recent years, combined with the continued rise in life expectancy, have spurred demand for social and health networks to cater to an ageing population.
In 2020, the UAE launched a five-year, renewable residency visa for retired expatriates aged 55 and above, which also allows them to sponsor spouses and children.
Rafeeq Connect is one UAE start-up looking to connect generations, to avoid issues of isolation and loneliness among older people living in the Emirates.
Its subscription package includes friendly visits, meaningful virtual sessions and light community activities to help elderly people stay socially active and emotionally connected.
Building connections
Sawsan Shalabi, founder of Rafeeq Connect, looks at each companion’s personality traits to pair them with the most suitable partner.
Ms Shalabi developed the programme after listening to the families of her friends.
“I heard them saying that their parents stay with them for six months every year, but they get really bored and don't know what to do as they are not mixing with similar social circles,” she said.
“They want to get out, but they're not always in the mood to be in group activities or with other elderlies. I thought about it from that perspective – why not do something like a cross-generational kind of meetups or interactions?”
Generational link
The minimum age for suitable companions is 21, with some people as old as 50 also keen to sign up.
Family members will have input into the companion chosen, with assessments made over factors such as potential language barriers that could hinder efforts to develop a connection.
Retired people can subscribe to a monthly package, with companions earning a percentage of an hourly rate.
Similar programmes have been introduced in the US and in Europe.
“Ideally, we want companions who are willing to do this service for a long time and not just do it whenever they have spare time, or time to kill,” Ms Shalabi said.
Maturing population
To qualify for a five-year renewable retirement visa, applicants must be at least 55 and meet specific financial and health requirements.
Financial pathways include at least Dh1 million ($272,290) worth of property ownership, or Dh1 million saved in a fixed interest UAE bank account.
A stable annual income or pension of at least Dh180,000 in Dubai or Dh240,000 elsewhere in the UAE also offers a retirement gateway into the emirates.
Changing landscape
Ali Haider, a partner in the Dubai office of Fragomen, a global immigration services company, said interest has increased from retirees and near-retirees looking to relocate to the UAE, particularly to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
“Several factors continue to underpin the UAE’s appeal for retirees,” he said. “These include a favourable tax environment, a high standard of living, strong infrastructure and access to high-quality health care.
“The breadth of available visa options now allows retirees to align their residency status with their financial circumstances, whether income-led, savings-based or investment-driven.
“This flexibility, combined with the UAE’s broader economic and lifestyle offering, is likely to sustain continued interest from retirees in the coming years.”
Making friends at 93
Erica Doyle, founder and chief executive of Drink Dry, moved her mother-in-law out to Dubai full time on a Golden Visa in October.
Patricia Doyle, 93, has settled in well, but has found it a challenge meeting new friends.
“Dubai definitely has more things to do and places to go than elsewhere, but the hardest thing was providing Patricia with enough companionship,” the younger Ms Doyle said.
“She’s not on her own because she needs help around the house with cooking and everything else at her age, but I struggled to find places for her to go where she would be among her peers.
“Patricia found it quite difficult to make new friends here and she's quite sociable."
Dedicated care
The landscape for geriatric care is also changing.
Dubai Health provides specialist care at its Seniors’ Happiness Centre, the only government facility dedicated for elderly support.
Specially trained healthcare workers and support staff provide physical, emotional and social well-being for the elderly.
Rickson Dsouza, a life insurance specialist at Continental Group, said anyone planning retirement in the UAE should consider their health insurance carefully.
“In the 1970s, the UAE was a country almost exclusively consisting of young, ambitious people and you’d rarely see people making UAE their permanent homes after retirement – that has changed now,” he said.
“It’s a good signal about the UAE’s progress. One of the biggest gaps in this space is preparing families operationally and emotionally for ageing – not just financially.
“Health care and insurance are well understood, but many families have accumulated significant wealth without clear systems around long-term care, medical decision-making, inheritance planning, or family responsibilities.”
The Gulf population is ageing fast, with the median age in Gulf Co-operation Council countries expected to rise from 32 in 2022 to 51 by the end of the century.
Gender gap
Sophie Smith, founder and chief executive of Nabta Health, said men and women often have different health requirements in retirement.
Despite living longer than men, women spend 25 per cent more of their lives in poor health, according to a study conducted by the McKinsey Health Institute and the World Economic Forum.
“As more people choose to make the UAE their long-term home – to retire and even die here – what they need is not reactive health care that engages only when something goes wrong, but instead a system that understands them before problems develop,” she said.
“As a society, we also need to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth, which is that most of what we know about ageing, longevity and disease progression is based almost exclusively on male data.”
There are care delivery gaps around menopause, bone density loss, cardiovascular risk shifts and cognitive decline.
As in most areas of health care, artificial intelligence is playing a role in the expanding demands of geriatric services.
It is helping build more predictive health systems and personalised patient care models, while also building effecting remote monitoring of elderly patients.
“By leveraging AI-driven diagnostics, healthcare providers can identify age-related conditions earlier, intervene more effectively and deliver continuous care beyond traditional clinical settings,” said Dr Inas Al Khatib, a digital health researcher at the American University of Sharjah.
“These technologies are particularly valuable in managing chronic illnesses, reducing hospital admissions, and supporting independent living among older adults.”
