Headlines in the UK show a country that's losing its top layer of wealth and earners. Often these reports reveal that mobile entrepreneurs or professionals are off to a new life in Dubai.
So we thought we would ask a representative sample of 2,000 people living in the UAE what their relative perceptions of the UK and UAE are.
The poll by Ipsos for The National highlights a complex, push-and-pull dynamic.
Many of them gave the rising cost of living, concerns about crime, and a perceived decline in safety as major reasons they were put off living in the UK.
Yet, emotional ties remain strong. Britain continues to hold value for its heritage, culture, education and deep sense of nostalgia, factors that still resonate with many, even as practical realities have weighed heavily in recent years.
Our UK-UAE poll has revealed a push-and-pull dynamic
If the budget hits the wrong note, British taxpayers who have set up a new life in the UAE may find even more of their compatriots deciding it is time to move.
So, bring on the tax mezze. That is the wide-ranging yet familiar arrangement of revenue measures designed to close the hole in the UK budget.
That today is budget day is momentous in itself, given the build-up to the UK's most persistent political event of the year. And not in a good way.
Rachel Reeves visits a Primark store in London ahead of her budget speech. Reuters
What to expect. The stock of housing wealth in the country will be in focus as householders in the top bands will face new charges.
At one point the Treasury had been considering plans to raise money from a new tax on the sale of homes worth more than £500,000.
Government officials were said to be looking at a possible property tax, which would replace stamp duty on owner-occupied homes.
The "homes tax" would have disproportionately affected homeowners in London and the south-east, where properties are more expensive. The average UK house price stands at £282,766, compared with £673,000 in London.
It seems certain that some if not all of the income tax thresholds will be frozen, making for what commenters are calling the lost decade of rising personal taxation.
Mobile capital was given a wake-up call when an exit tax was mooted. Entrepreneurs are steeled for taxes on dividends to rise. For those able to put money away, there is a tighter cap on tax-free savings. The list is expected to be quite long, at a dozen or more increases.
Turmoil ensues
Cause and effect. Remember the move by the UK – as well as the US and the French – to cut foreign development spending?
Well, according to the august security think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the spillover is already happening. The analysts launched the Armed Conflict Study on Tuesday and pointed out that the rise in wars and deaths we are seeing was preceded by cuts to foreign aid.
It looks at the comeback of terrorism in the Horn of Africa and makes a direct link. "The cutting of aid has impacted Somalia greatly," said Benjamin Petrini, one of the team presenting the 2025 report. "The gains that were made against Al Shabab in 2023 have evaporated as Shabab now controls 30 per cent of the country, and more than that, it is being able to exploit the polarisation and the political rivalries."
By cutting aid, western states are undermining their traditional allies and allowing armed groups to increase their influence in internal power struggles, the analysts say. The vulnerability of regional capitals like Bamako in Mali to takeover is part of mounting evidence of this ripple effect.
The price tag is huge and the third runway for Heathrow Airport is a radical venture. With an overall cost of £50 billion, the runway construction will gobble up £33bn ($43 billion), involves moving a section of the M25 motorway and would nearly double the number of passengers to 150 million a year, cementing Heathrow's place as one of the busiest airports in the world.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the plan submitted by Heathrow Airport Limited as “the most credible and deliverable option” and said the government is acting “swiftly and decisively” to move it forward.
It includes a new T5X terminal as well as a new M25 tunnel and bridges to be built 130 metres west of the existing motorway.
A less expensive, £25 billion rival proposal from Arora Group, owned by billionaire Surinder Arora, was rejected. It would have involved building a shorter, 2,800-metre runway without affecting the M25.
The Transport Department wants planning permission secured by 2029 and flights to begin in 2035.
The new north-western runway will allow the airport to increase capacity to 756,000 flights a year, almost doubling the number of passengers a year from 84 million. By comparison, Dubai International Airport handled 92 million passengers in 2024.
The project will support 100,000 jobs and Ms Alexander said it would “attract international investment and boost Britain’s connectivity”.
While Mr Arora said he accepted the government’s announcement, he added that his proposal had been to “avoid the M25 and bring down both risks and costs of the expansion scheme”. He may seek involvement in later phases of the project nonetheless.
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26) bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg. The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company. When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
