'Land of opportunity and convenience': British residents on life in the UAE

British residents of the UAE have hailed the country as the "safest place on Earth" and a "land of opportunity" as a new poll by The National highlighted greater confidence in security and job prospects in comparison to the UK.

The survey asked 2,000 people about their perceptions of life in the UAE compared to Britain. More than 80 per cent agreed the Emirates is a very safe place to live, 79 per cent said it is a good place to raise children and 60 per cent said they do not want to leave because the job opportunities are better.

“For me, the UAE represents everything a modern nation should aspire to be,” said British expatriate Justin Cooke, who moved with his wife and two children to Abu Dhabi last year. “It is, quite simply, the safest place on Earth, home to one of the most concentrated cultural quarters in the world, blessed with an enviable climate for most of the year and connected to over half the planet within a three-hour flight … there is no place I’d rather be.”

Hannah Castleton, who has lived in Dubai for seven years, calls it “a land of opportunity and convenience”. She said: “It’s safe, clean and full of things to do, with a booming wellness scene and very accessible, high-quality health care. You genuinely won’t run out of activities or experiences here.”

Despite the negative narrative about the UK, however, 74 per cent had a positive perception of the nation, with 29 per cent saying it is a “dream country”.

Communications specialist Baljit Kaur Gill, who moved to the UAE from Britain about 18 months ago, said her home country “has a pull”. She added: “The creativity, the diversity, the dry wit, the grit – it’s a mix that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.