The quality of life and the services offered by the UAE is beyond compare. The nation ranks among the top 10 destinations on the parameters of quality of life and services offered. Global consultancy Mercer maintains that the UAE offers its residents the best quality of life in the Middle East, with Dubai securing the highest rating, closely followed by Abu Dhabi.

In Mercer’s 2019 Quality of Living rankings (the latest available survey), Dubai is in the 74th position (leading the region for seven straight years) while Abu Dhabi is perched on the 78th spot among the 231 cities ranked. The survey measures the degree of well-being individuals feel based on 10 lifestyle categories including economic environment, housing and education.

While Dubai retained the same position as last year and Abu Dhabi dropped one place to 78th, living standards in the two cities have improved dramatically since 1998 – Dubai by 12.2 per cent and Abu Dhabi by 12.1 per cent.

Quality of life is the single biggest reason why many residents and retirees choose to live in the UAE. The UAE government is pursuing National Strategy for Wellbeing until 2031 to make the UAE a world leader in the quality of life. The programmes include 90 projects dedicated to enhancing physical and mental health, family cohesion and quality of life.

In March 2021, Dubai revealed its 2040 Master Plan, which aims to make the emirate the world’s best city to live in. The next 20 years will see the city tackle ambitious plans including increasing the space of public beaches by 400 per cent while 60 per cent of Dubai’s area is set to become nature reserves. Urban areas will be revamped while infrastructure will also be further developed.