| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1,500,000 (2017)[1] 12.53% of the UAE's population[2][3] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Abu Dhabi · Dubai · Sharjah · Al Ain · Ras Al Khaimah | |
| Languages | |
| Urdu[a] · Punjabi · Pashto · Sindhi · Balochi · Saraiki · Pahari-Pothwari · Brahui · Kashmiri · Arabic · English · otherPakistani languages | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (predominantly) · Christianity[5][6] · Hinduism[7] |
Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates include expatriates fromPakistan who have settled in theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), with a population of over 1.5 million,[8] Pakistanis are thesecond largest national group in the UAE afterIndians, constituting 12.5% of the country's total population.[3] They are the third largestoverseas Pakistani community, behind the Pakistani diaspora inSaudi Arabia and theUnited Kingdom. The population is diverse and consists of people from all over Pakistan, includingPunjab,Sindh,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa andFATA,Balochistan,Azad Kashmir andGilgit Baltistan. The majority of Pakistanis areMuslim, with significant minorities ofChristians,Hindus and other religions. The majority are found inDubai andAbu Dhabi respectively, while a significant population is spread out inSharjah and the remainingNorthern Emirates.Dubai alone accounts for a Pakistani population of 400,000.[8]
From the time when heavy Pakistani migration occurred to the Middle East, a number of Pakistanis went to the UAE. While many tend to be skilled and semi-skilled professionals,[9] most are unskilledmigrant workers.[10] Pakistanis outnumber Emirati nationals in three of UAE's emirates:Dubai,Sharjah andAjman.[11]
Pakistani ethnic groups with significant populations includePunjabis,Pashtuns,Sindhis,Baloch,Muhajirs and smaller populations ofSaraikis,Kashmiris,Hindkowans and other ethnic groups. There are also smaller populations of Pakistani expatriates from other countries who live and work in the UAE, such asBritish Pakistanis[12] andPakistani Canadians.[13]
Pakistan and the UAE maintain strong economic relations with each other, with the UAE being the second biggesttrading partner of Pakistan in terms of bilateral trade.[14] A large skilled and semi-skilled Pakistani workforce contributes to the UAE economy. Around 20% of Pakistanis arewhite-collar professions, and the remaining 80% are involved in theblue-collar industry.[15] The ratio of blue-collar Pakistani labour migrating to the UAE has dropped since 2008, although the volume of remittances has increased.[16]
Pakistani expatriates in the UAE are actively involved in the country's business, investment and services sectors; in 2025 there were some 47,000 Pakistani-owned businesses registered in the UAE, including more than 8,000 in a year.[17]
The UAE is the second largest source ofremittances to Pakistan; in 2012, remittances from the UAE amounted to $2.9 billion.[14]
Pakistan ranks among the top five sources of migrant professionals in the UAE.[18] Pakistanis in UAE dominate the transport sector i.e. from logistics to crane operators and up to taxi drivers. There are many Pakistani bankers working in various local and multinational banks. It is not uncommon to find Pakistani professionals working in various multinationals in UAE. There are many Pakistani restaurants in UAE owned and run by these expatriate Pakistanis.
In September 2018, Pakistan’sSupreme Court was informed that Pakistani nationals held an estimated US $150 billion in assets and properties in the UAE, according to a report presented by chartered accountancy firmA.F. Ferguson. The figure was disclosed during proceedings related to a case on overseas holdings and bank accounts, with Chief JusticeMian Saqib Nisar noting the large sum remained abroad despite a recent amnesty scheme. A separate summary in the court’s written order placed the estimated value of Pakistani-owned assets in the UAE at about US $110 billion.[19][20]
The UAE is a major investment destination for Pakistan. Pakistanis are among the top ten investors in the UAE property market, ranking as the second largest nationality that bought most property in Dubai.[21] Over the years, many wealthy Pakistanis have bought expensive properties in Dubai and have second homes there;[22][23] in 2024, following data leaks, it was estimated that 17,000 Pakistanis have bought 23,000 properties in Dubai, their collective property holdings estimated at $11 billion,[24] whileDawn News asserted higher estimates based on academics using the data and additional sources, with 22,000 Pakistanis having property holdings worth $12,5 billion.[25]
SeeMigrant workers in the United Arab Emirates
The UAE is widely reported to be complicit in a modern-day slave trade of from Pakistan workers. There continues to be very little sharing of oil despite energy shortages in Pakistan and unflexible nationality guidelines for anybody wanted to move on from Pakistani citizenship.[26]
There are number of organisations which represent Pakistanis in UAE. Some of them are as follows:
The Pakistani community in the UAE celebratesIndependence Day with much fervour.[27]Urdu, being the national language of Pakistan, is a principal language of the community.[28]
| Religions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnic groups | |||||||||
| Foreigners |
| ||||||||
| From Asia | |
|---|---|
| From elsewhere | |
| See also | |
