Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates

Filipino workers

Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates are primarily migrant overseas workers employed in the architecture, construction, cargo shipping design engineering, energy, information technology, marketing, medical, real estate, retail, telecommunications, and tourism sectors or as domestic helpers. The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment also has two Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. These offices, as well as agreements between the Filipino and UAE governments, have set the monthly minimum salary for OFW's at US$400. Because of the high number of Filipinos in the UAE, OFW's have called more direct flights from the UAE to the Philippines.

Population decline

The 2008 financial crisis took a toll on the working Filipino population in the United Arab Emirates, with 3,000 Filipino workers losing their jobs in December 2008 alone. The overall population shrank by 20% at the end of 2008 as compared to the end of 2007. The Embassy of the Philippines in the UAE asked laid-off Filipinos to register, because of the possibility of job openings in nearby Qatar. However, the decline could also be attributed to new visa and passport requirements that the government of the UAE instituted midway through 2008, affecting up to 20,000 Filipinos. Those with expired visas were stranded on the Iranian island of Kish, and at Al Buraimi, Oman near the Oman/UAE border. 300 Filipinos had fled to the Philippines because of the stranded Filipinos and 65 Filipinos received tickets free from the Consulate of the Philippines. In 2024, they constitute 6.8% of the UAE’s total population, which means approximately 700,000 individuals. Among them, around 450,000 Filipinos reside in Dubai alone, representing roughly 21.3% of the emirate’s total population.

References

References

1. "Know Your Diaspora: United Arab Emirates — Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora".
2. Muslim, Nina. (December 2008). "Filipino population in UAE dwindling amid high costs". Gulf News.
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4. Ruiz, Ramona. (2009-02-05). "Manila blocks 50 Filipinos from working in UAE on tourist visas". The National.
5. (2008-01-27). "PGMA's Speech before the Filipino Community in Dubai". ops.gov.ph.
6. (2008-12-18). "Wadi Jobs Dubai: Global Crisis Robs Filipinos of 3,000 Jobs in UAE". Free Press Release.
7. (2009-01-24). "Qatar Likely Destination for Filipinos Retrenched in UAE". Al Habibi.
8. (2019-08-26). "Apply United Arab Emirates visa". [[Department of Labor and Employment (Philippines).
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10. (2007-09-16). "DOLE to put up 4 new labor offices abroad". gov.ph.
11. (2003-02-19). "OFWs in Dubai calls for more direct flight services". [[Department of Labor and Employment (Philippines).
12. Saberi, Mahmood. (2008-07-24). "Hundreds in UAE visa run business look elsewhere". Gulf News.
13. (2008-08-26). "DOLE advises OFWs on UAE rules concerning passports". [[Department of Labor and Employment (Philippines).
14. (2007-07-22). "JINGGOY URGES GOV'T: "HELP 20,000 FILIPINOS..."". senate.gov.ph.
15. Baylon, Gloria Jane. (2008-09-26). "1,000 Filipinos with expired UAE visas stranded". Balita.ph.
16. Sambidge, Andy. (2024-05-07). "Philippines is next stage of UAE's Asean trade push".