Is Dubai a Tax-Friendly Country for High Net-Worth Expats?

Dubai is indeed a Tax-Friendly Country for High Net-Worth Expats.

You can’t get more tax-friendly than the 0% tax rates in the UAE.

There is no better place than the UAE for folks who want the best of everything, a relatively hassle-free residency permit, and 0% tax rates.

The Emirates offers a Property Investor Residence Visa wherein you must invest at least AED1 million ($272,000) in real estate and spend a portion of the year there to qualify for their tax-exempt status.

However, it’s worth noting that on a dollar vs. value-received ratio, you can find very good properties here compared to what you would find on the previous list entries.

You can even pick the type of ambiance you experience in your day-to-day, as the two main cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have two distinctive characters.

As you can read about in our ex-pat guide, Dubai is more focused on the entertainment lifestyle. On the other hand, Abu Dhabi is a bit more “old money,” traditional, calmer, and not so busy.

Wherever you ultimately pick though, what you will notice is that the standard of service is excellent.

For someone like myself, who simply does not want to drive, it is nice that every time you order an Uber, a Lexus pulls up. Unlike anywhere else, in the UAE, you are never going to get a Renault that has a dent in the side of it.

Life is good there. You don’t need to worry about much – if anything, you can hire someone in the UAE to worry for you – as every service and product you could ever want is available there.

It bears saying that some people are hesitant about the Middle East, perhaps understandably so when all they see are news headlines. But what you will find when you actually go there is that you will always be treated exceptionally well and it is very safe.