| Total population | |
|---|---|
| UAE-born residents 11,457 (2011 census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| London | |
| Languages | |
| Arabic · English | |
| Religion | |
| Islam |
Emiratis in the United Kingdom are Emirati expatriates in the United Kingdom. They number several thousand and include many students pursuing higher education.
At the time of the 2001 UK census, there were 5,406 people born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who were residents in the United Kingdom. [1] The 2011 census recorded 10,139 UAE-born residents in England, 382 in Wales, [2] 873 in Scotland [3] and 63 in Northern Ireland. [4]
In the 2009/10 academic year, around 400 new UAE students enrolled in various higher education institutions across the UK and the overall number of Emirati-domiciled students registered on higher education courses totalled over 2,800. [5] This represents growth from 2005/2006, when the population numbered 2,000, which itself was an increase of 15 per cent on the previous academic year. [6] In the 2002/03 academic year, there were 1,400 students. [7] The UK remains one of the top choices for overseas work, study or tourism amongst UAE nationals. [8] [9] [10] As of 2013, up to 3,200 students from the UAE were pursuing education in the UK. [11]
According to UAE government figures, between 1990 and 2012, around 250 UAE nationals became British citizens. The UAE does not allow dual citizenship. [12]
Britain is one of the most popular destinations for UAE expats and is the most popular choice of Emirati students travelling overseas for their higher education. [13] Around 40,000 Emiratis visit the UK every year. Many of the UAE's leaders received their education in UK universities and institutions. [14] Language and cultural difficulties, living outside the "comfort zone" and the different weather conditions are reported to be perpetual difficulties for new Emirati students in the UK. [5] The London branch of the Dubai National Bank is considered to be one of the central social venues for the capital's Emirati community. [15] Emirati students tend to retain certain cultural and religious practices when studying in the UK, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. The Emiratis see Ramadan as a time during which they can fast and more frequently offer prayers. It is also a period of interaction, something they miss during their time in London. [16]
The UAE government has issued its own version of a tourist map of London for Emiratis who visit the UK, with the map identifying "dangerous areas" to avoid. The warning came as a measure after incidents of fraud, theft and attacks on Emirati nationals in London. [17] [18] [19]
Notable Emirati expatriates in the UK include:
Demographic features of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) include population density, vital statistics, immigration and emigration data, ethnicity, education levels, religions practiced, and languages spoken within the UAE.
The United Arab Emirates is a high-income developing market economy. The UAE's economy is the 3rd largest in the Middle East, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$415 billion in 2021-2023.
The United Arab Emirates, or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East. It is located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia, while also having maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. Abu Dhabi is the country's capital, while Dubai, the most populous city, is an international hub.
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the country's seven emirates.
The Emirate of Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, the only one of the seven with a coastline solely on the Gulf of Oman and none on the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Fujairah.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is an Emirati politician and royal who is the current ruler of Dubai, and serves as the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defense of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mohammed succeeded his brother Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum as UAE vice president and ruler of Dubai following the latter's death in 2006.
Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi is an Emirati royal and politician who is the ruler of the Emirate of Fujairah, and was the first minister of agriculture and fisheries in the United Arab Emirates between 1971 and 1974.
According to human rights organisations, the government of the UAE violates a number of fundamental human rights. The UAE does not have democratically elected institutions and citizens do not have the right to change their government or to form political parties. Activists and academics who criticize the regime are detained and imprisoned, and their families are often harassed by the state security apparatus. There are reports of forced disappearances in the UAE; many foreign nationals and Emirati citizens have been abducted by the UAE government and illegally detained and tortured in undisclosed locations. In numerous instances, the UAE government has tortured people in custody, and has denied their citizens the right to a speedy trial and access to counsel during official investigations.
Human rights in Dubai are based on the Constitution and enacted law, which supposedly promise equitable treatment of all people, regardless of race, nationality or social status, per Article 25 of the Constitution of the United Arab Emirates. Despite this, Freedom House has stated: "Extreme forms of self-censorship are widely practiced, particularly regarding issues such as local politics, culture, religion, or any other subject the government deems politically or culturally sensitive. The Dubai Media Free Zone (DMFZ), an area in which foreign media outlets produce print and broadcast material intended for foreign audiences, is the only arena where the press operates with relative freedom."
According to Human Rights Watch, there is substantial discrimination against women in the United Arab Emirates. The status of women has improved over the years. UAE performs better on metrics of gender equality than many other states in the Gulf region, and it has been making reforms to protect women's rights and empower women in different sectors. Critics describe some of these reforms as window dressing.
Mass media in the United Arab Emirates is subject to government control and censorship. Media freedom is severely curtailed in the UAE. Most UAE media is owned by the government or by groups that have ties to the government. UAE law permits the government to censor content critical of the government. Journalists and writers who criticize the government are subject to repression.
Bilateral ties exist between Australia and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE maintains an embassy in Canberra whilst Australia has an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate-general in Dubai.
GEMS Education, founded as Global Education Management Systems (GEMS), is an international education company. It is one of the world's largest private school operators, and as of late 2022 it operates more than 60 schools across the Middle East and North Africa, and also has schools in Asia, Europe, and North America. Founded in Dubai by Sunny Varkey, the firm provides pre-school, primary, and secondary education.
Emirati Americans are Americans who have roots, origin and descent from the United Arab Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates has an embassy in London while the United Kingdom maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi and is unique in having another Embassy in Dubai, albeit with His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, as opposed to a separate British Ambassador. The UAE-UK relations have been described as a "special relationship".
Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is a member of the House of Al Falasi, a branch of the House of Maktoum, the ruling royal family of the Emirate of Dubai. He is the fifth son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Emir of Dubai.
The Emirati diaspora comprises Emirati citizens who have emigrated from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to other countries, and people of Emirati descent born or residing in other countries.
Al Jalila Foundation is a charity organization for promoting medical education and research in the United Arab Emirates. It was founded by Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai in 2013.
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first confirmed case in the United Arab Emirates was announced on 29 January 2020. It was the first country in the Middle East to report a confirmed case.
Maryam Mohamed Fatma Matar is an Emirati geneticist, medical researcher, and radio host, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Matar is the first woman to serve as director-general in the government of Dubai and is the founder and chairperson of the UAE Genetic Diseases Association.
