Safety and Stability

Sovereign credit ratings

Source: Fitch Ratings: Fitch affirms the United Arab Emirates at 'AA-'; outlook stable (22 May 2026); Moody's: United Arab Emirates sovereign reports; Forbes Middle East: GCC sovereign ratings hold firm (September 2026)^1,2,3

Fitch says its rating reflects the UAE's low consolidated government debt, strong net external asset position and high GDP per capita. S&P estimates general government debt at about 26% of GDP in 2026.^1,4

Currency

The UAE dirham has been pegged to the US dollar since February 2002 at AED 3.6725 per dollar, so contracts and prices in dirhams carry no exchange risk against the dollar.⁵

Personal safety

Source: Numbeo: Safety Index by City 2026⁶

Numbeo's index is built from residents' answers about crime and safety, not from police statistics. The 2026 list covers 304 cities.⁶

Expats in the Expat Insider 2025 survey ranked the UAE 1st of 46 countries for personal safety.⁷

The 2026 regional conflict

• Regional airspace closures cut Dubai International's passenger traffic by 31.3% in the first half of 2026; it recovered steadily through the second quarter.
• The EIU lowered stability scores across the Gulf in its 2026 liveability index because of the Iran war.
• Moody's affirmed the UAE's rating in June 2026 despite disruption to trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Dubai Media Incorporated: DXB welcomed 31.5 million guests in H1 2026; EIU: Global Liveability Index 2026; Arab News: S&P maintains UAE's 'AA' rating^9,8,4

Check your government's current travel advice and your insurance cover for business interruption before committing to large investments.