The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the second-largest economy in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia, and GDP per capita is significantly higher than in the USA and major European markets.
The UAE is made up of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al Quwain. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are by far the most important in economic terms.
Much of the country’s wealth comes from oil exports, but Dubai has much smaller reserves than Abu Dhabi and consequently it has acted more quickly to diversify its economy. Today Dubai is a major transport and logistics hub, not just for the Gulf region but for the whole of the Middle East and Africa. It is also an important financial centre and a major tourist destination.
Dubai is the centre for most market research in the UAE but FieldworkHub also has capabilities in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. When conducting research in the UAE it is important to bear in mind that Emiratis make up fewer than one in five of the population and the proportion of Emiratis in Dubai is even lower. The largest expat communities are from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, followed by the Philippines. Western expats are estimated to account for around 8% of the total population.
