[author: Thomas Paoletti]

How are global geopolitical events affecting mobility in your jurisdiction?

Geopolitical instability generally influences mobility. However, emigration does not come exclusively from conflict zones, and can be purely economic.

The immigration policies of the UAE intend to attract skilled professionals. The policy has helped the UAE attract exceptional talent.

The UAE has a safety index of 84.9 and is considered one of the safest countries in the world. Three of its cities are in the top five safest globally. The major attraction that immigrants find in the country is its openness and commitment to pluralism, and it is home to a 90% foreign population, and over 200 nationalities.

Climate concerns are increasingly becoming a decision-making factor in global migration – how is this impacting your jurisdiction?

The entire GCC region is likely to face a climate crisis as many climate-related studies have pointed to the fact that there shall be an increase in temperature up to 5 degrees in the GCC region by the end of this century, meaning that local populations, including in the GCC, will face major health and livelihood challenges in the coming future. As many as 400 million inhabitants of the Middle East will be at risk of exposure to extreme heat waves that may also stoke social and political tensions.

The UAE’s government has been very keen to address global concerns over climate change and has acted to reduce its carbon footprint and the dependence of its economy on fossil fuels. The same is evident from the UAE hosting the recently held COP28 (United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC).

The UAE has been at the forefront of acting on climate policies and has set the target of 2050 for the goal of net zero emissions. However, resource-rich countries like the UAE will experience an increase in the rate of immigration from poorer regions despite their own forecasted climatic challenges. The GCC could potentially receive some of the 143 million climate migrants from Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, that the World Bank expects could be displaced by 2050.