Yesterday, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled her country’s budget for the next financial year. She did so amid a continuing national conversation about quality of life in contemporary Britain. Part of that dialogue has concerned the ebb and flow of people moving between the UK and the UAE, a trend scrutinised in an Ipsos poll commissioned this week by The National. What it revealed was interesting, especially in light of Ms Reeves’s claim in 2023 that “globalisation, as we once knew it, is dead”.
The demise of globalisation has been predicted before. However, although the phenomenon’s features may have changed from its high-water mark in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it is far from done. The persistent success of trans-national companies, the role of global capital and supply chains, as well as the connectivity inherent in the new AI era all mean the world remains a place of international markets and the movement of people seeking a better life.
Many characteristics of UK-UAE migration point to what could be called “globalisation done right”. Yes, employment and personal income is a strong pull factor for many Britons on the move; almost eight out of 10 respondents to the Ipsos poll agreed or strongly agreed that the UAE offers strong career opportunities. But more money in one’s pocket is just part of an emerging narrative revealed by this polling data. We are seeing an evolving social trend that is far removed from the caricature of the Emirates as a sun-drenched, low-tax destination for the rich.
For many of those coming to the UAE, upward mobility and job opportunities – although important – are not the whole story. One of the most significant draws across nearly all the demographics surveyed was family life, with the Emirates widely regarded as a great place to raise children. Safety, education and overall lifestyle were repeatedly linked to this perception. Beyond these factors, the tolerance that underpins the UAE’s multi-cultural society has fostered a stable country that is bucking the trend of polarisation and rancour seen in other parts of the world.
A thread running through the results of this week’s is upward mobility or, in other words, people’s future. This points to a broader narrative, one that shifts away from nostalgia to ambition coupled with a vision for long-term stability and growth. The significant changes that have taken place in the UAE’s legal landscape in recent years – including long-term residency, civil marriage, property rights as well as comprehensive health and unemployment insurance – have helped make new arrivals to the country think and plan in concrete terms about their future and that of their families.
What makes a good life differs from person to person. For some, it is job prospects and higher salaries. But as this new data shows, for most people it is a complete package: improved finances but also safety, a harmonious environment and a humane society. These are the ingredients needed for a globalisation that moves beyond the merely financial and towards a truly global community, rooted in respect for history and culture. The UAE is providing a glimpse of what that future could look like.
