UAE ranks second globally as digital nomad destination: What to know
The Gulf country was rated highly for its internet quality, public safety, low tax environment, comprehensive health-care system and overall infrastructure.
The United Arab Emirates has ranked second in the world as a destination for digital nomads in the 2025 VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index, rising two places since last year and trailing only Spain.
Scoring 4.14 points, the UAE ranked ahead of Montenegro (third), the Bahamas (fourth) and Hungary (fifth), according to the survey of 55 countries.
The Gulf country was rated highly for its internet quality, public safety, low tax environment, comprehensive health-care system and overall infrastructure.
"The UAE has quickly established itself as a leading destination for remote workers, offering a unique mix of tax-free income, world-class digital infrastructure and a dynamic lifestyle that appeals to global nomads," Dion Pllana, global travel trends analyst at VisaGuide, told Al-Monitor on Monday.
Why it matters: The UAE has consistently held a high position in the survey and has risen in ranking by two places since last year, when it was ranked fourth, behind Spain, Argentina and Romania.
The country introduced the digital nomad visa in March 2021, allowing remote workers of foreign companies to live in the country for up to a year. Around 46% of the UAE's employed population engage in remote working of some form, a January YouGov survey found.
During the coronavirus pandemic, when restrictions to stop the virus spreading led to more people working away from crowded areas like offices, there was a boom in digital nomadism. The global remote work market, comprising around 40 million people, is estimated to generate $800 billion annually, as governments compete to attract top talent.
According to advisory firm Instant Offices, it is predicted that 1 billion people could work as digital nomads by 2035.
Know more: The UAE’s Middle Eastern peers have a long way to catch up with it in the survey, with its closest regional competitor Turkey ranking 44th. However, the list only includes countries that offer a digital nomad visa, meaning no other Middle Eastern or North African countries are on the list.
