Lifestyle
UAE — Living: Major Cities
Dubai is the UAE's most populous emirate (4.47M+ residents, 2026), the global business/tourism hub and most expensive for living costs. Abu Dhabi, the federal capital, follows closely (~4.13M residents), offering a somewhat lower cost of living and more government/institutional presence. Sharjah (~1.9M residents) is a popular, more affordable residential and business alternative bordering Dubai. Expatriates make up nearly 90% of the UAE's population (~10.4 million people, 88%+ of the total in 2026), with Indians the largest single foreign national community (~3.5 million).
VerifiedGovernment / official sourceStatistics Centre – Abu Dhabi / UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics CentreLast reviewed: 2026-07-18
Key facts
- Dubai: ~4.47M residents (2026), global business/tourism hub, most expensive emirate.
- Abu Dhabi: ~4.13M residents, federal capital, somewhat lower cost of living.
- Sharjah: ~1.9M residents, more affordable alternative bordering Dubai.
- Expatriates comprise ~88%+ of the UAE's population; Indians are the largest single national community (~3.5M).