The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has firmly established itself as a premier global destination for digital nomads, climbing to second place worldwide in 2025 according to the latest VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index. This notable rise from fourth place in 2023 reflects the UAE’s strategic emphasis on cultivating a robust environment for remote workers. Positioned just behind Spain and ahead of competitors such as Montenegro, the Bahamas, and Hungary, the UAE’s advancement underscores its increasing appeal as a hub for the fast-growing segment of digital nomads.
This shift in ranking comes as governments worldwide vie to attract remote professionals amid a global economy now powered by digital nomadism to the tune of $800 billion. The UAE’s success is rooted in several key strengths, including superior internet quality with widespread high-speed 5G coverage, favourable tax policies featuring zero income tax, a competitive cost of living, comprehensive healthcare services, and exceptional safety standards. These factors combine to make the UAE particularly attractive for remote workers seeking stability and quality of life.
Adding to its allure, the UAE offers specialized visa programs tailored for remote professionals, such as Dubai’s Remote Work Visa and Abu Dhabi’s Virtual Working Programme. These initiatives provide renewable one-year remote work visas that facilitate long-term stays and contribute to the country’s reputation as a welcoming environment for entrepreneurs and tech founders. The clear legal frameworks and modern co-working infrastructure further support a dynamic business and lifestyle ecosystem.
Regional experts hail the UAE as a leader in digital nomadism within the Middle East. Mohammad Alard, founder of the Arab Digital Nomads platform, has noted the UAE’s competitive edge, highlighting cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi as emerging global digital work hubs. He remarked, “Dubai can be classified as a global digital business hub competing with cities like Bangkok, Barcelona, or Cape Town,” reflecting the UAE’s growing prominence in this sphere.
The broader context of this rise is significant: there are currently around 40 million digital nomads worldwide, a figure projected to swell to one billion by 2035 — nearly one-third of the global workforce. This evolution, greatly accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and technological advances in 5G and hybrid work models, has transformed digital nomadism from a niche lifestyle into a mainstream global movement. The UAE’s early-mover advantage and continued investments in infrastructure and policy have positioned it to capitalise on this trend effectively.
Rankings that inform these developments comprehensively assess essential factors such as the quality of internet connectivity, tax environment, minimum income requirements for visa eligibility, healthcare standards, cost of living, personal safety, and the appeal of locations as places to live and work. The UAE scores highly across these indicators, reinforcing its stature as a future-ready, diversified economy attractive to high-value talent globally.
As countries compete for a share of the booming digital nomad population, the UAE’s strategic blend of innovative visa programs, world-class infrastructure, and quality lifestyle offerings have elevated it to the forefront of global remote work destinations. Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s positioning as top remote work cities in independent reports further solidifies the UAE’s role as a must-consider destination for global nomads seeking both opportunity and an exceptional living experience.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.arabianbusiness.com/jobs/uae-digital-nomads-2025 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/work/uae-rises-to-second-position-globally-for-digital-nomads-in-2025/articleshow/122313271.cms – The UAE has ascended to the second spot globally for digital nomads in 2025, according to the VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index. This advancement from fourth place in 2023 reflects the UAE’s strategic focus on attracting remote workers through policy innovation and digital infrastructure. Spain holds the top position, with the UAE ahead of countries like Montenegro, the Bahamas, and Hungary. Evaluators considered factors such as internet quality, tax environment, cost of living, healthcare, and overall safety. The UAE’s rise underscores its commitment to building a future-ready, diversified economy and attracting high-value talent from around the world.
- https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-ranks-second-globally-for-digital-nomads-in-2025-1.500188124 – The United Arab Emirates has solidified its status as a global powerhouse in the digital nomad economy, ranking second worldwide in 2025 as a top destination for digital nomads. This marks a significant leap from fourth place in 2023, according to the latest VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index. The UAE’s ascent reflects a national vision that goes beyond short-term economic gains, focusing instead on building resilient digital infrastructure, a high standard of living, and a future-ready workforce. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are now must-consider destinations on the global digital nomad map.
- https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/07/uae-ranks-second-globally-digital-nomad-destination-what-know – 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.
- https://cairoscene.com/Buzz/UAE-Ranks-as-Second-Best-Destination-for-Digital-Nomads-in-2025 – The UAE has been ranked as the world’s second-best destination for digital nomads in 2025, rising from fourth place in 2023, according to the VisaGuide Digital Nomad Index. The country came in just behind Spain and ahead of Montenegro, the Bahamas, and Hungary. This leap reflects the UAE’s proactive digital infrastructure, flexible visa programs, and safe, well-connected cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The ranking considers key factors including internet quality, cost of living, healthcare, taxation, and personal safety. Dubai’s and Abu Dhabi’s remote work programs, like the Virtual Working Programme and Abu Dhabi’s Remote Work Visa, played a major role in attracting global talent.
- https://www.visaverge.com/guides/top-10-countries-for-digital-nomad-visas-in-2025-revealed/ – The landscape for digital nomads in 2025 continues to grow and adapt as remote work becomes a key feature of global labor dynamics. According to the Digital Nomad Index from VisaGuide, Spain is the leading destination for digital nomads this year, followed closely by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Montenegro. This ranking considers essential factors such as cost of living, minimum income requirements to qualify for Digital Nomad Visas, taxation policies, internet speed, healthcare standards, and appeal as a tourist destination. These criteria highlight countries that excel in offering favorable conditions for remote workers, bringing attention to both established and emerging digital nomad hubs.
- https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/278424789/uae-emerges-as-global-base-for-digital-nomads – The United Arab Emirates has consolidated its status as a leading force and key player in the digital nomad economy, rising to second place globally as a top destination for digital nomads in 2025. This remarkable achievement, advancing from fourth place globally in 2023 according to the VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index, reflects a forward-looking vision that goes beyond immediate economic gains, investing in people and digital infrastructure as future assets. The platform Immigrant Invest ranked the UAE second globally after Spain, ahead of countries such as Montenegro, the Bahamas, and Hungary. The evaluation was based on strict criteria including internet quality, tax policies, cost of living, healthcare, and unmatched levels of safety and stability.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative was published on July 8, 2025, and has been reported by multiple reputable outlets, including Gulf News ([gulfnews.com](https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-ranks-second-globally-for-digital-nomads-in-2025-1.500188124?utm_source=openai)) and Al-Monitor ([al-monitor.com](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/07/uae-ranks-second-globally-digital-nomad-destination-what-know?utm_source=openai)), indicating freshness. The UAE’s rise from fourth to second place in the VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index is a recent development, with the index updated in July 2025 ([visaguide.world](https://visaguide.world/digital-nomad-visa/digital-nomad-index/?utm_source=openai)). The article includes updated data and quotes, suggesting a high freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quote from Mohammad Alard, founder of the Arab Digital Nomads platform, appears to be original and exclusive to this narrative, as no identical matches were found in earlier material. The wording of the quote matches the source, with no variations noted.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from Arabian Business, a reputable organisation known for its coverage of Middle East business and finance. The information aligns with reports from other reputable outlets, such as Gulf News ([gulfnews.com](https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-ranks-second-globally-for-digital-nomads-in-2025-1.500188124?utm_source=openai)) and Al-Monitor ([al-monitor.com](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/07/uae-ranks-second-globally-digital-nomad-destination-what-know?utm_source=openai)), indicating reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about the UAE’s rise in the VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index are corroborated by multiple reputable sources, including Gulf News ([gulfnews.com](https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-ranks-second-globally-for-digital-nomads-in-2025-1.500188124?utm_source=openai)) and Al-Monitor ([al-monitor.com](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/07/uae-ranks-second-globally-digital-nomad-destination-what-know?utm_source=openai)). The narrative provides specific details about the UAE’s digital infrastructure, tax policies, and visa programmes, which are consistent with known information. The tone and language are appropriate for the region and topic, with no inconsistencies noted.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, with recent and original content. The quotes are exclusive and match the source. The source is reputable, and the claims are plausible, supported by multiple reputable outlets. No significant credibility risks were identified.
