Abu Dhabi, UAE
🇦🇪 Countries · current to September 2026

The UAE, for a high earner.

2 addresses in the UAE on the Patrician.ch board, ranked by what a $1M earner keeps. Abu Dhabi leads at 0%.

In short, current to September 2026

  • Abu Dhabi ranks first in the UAE, at 0% on $1,000,000 and ahead on the engine score (safety, schools, sun, beauty, cost and ease of entry). Dubai is the alternative.
  • None of the 2 addresses in the UAE taxes a resident's capital gains on listed securities.
  • No address in the UAE carries an annual wealth tax.
  • Inheritance: No inheritance tax. The UAE levies no inheritance or estate tax.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, UAE for high earners 2026: Abu Dhabi vs Dubai after tax, patrician.ch/countries/uae/, September 2026.

Ranked

2 addresses in the UAE, by what a $1M earner keeps.

01
Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 UAEkeeps $1M of $1M, gains 0%, safety 9 of 10, schools 8 of 10
0%
02
Dubai 🇦🇪 UAEkeeps $1M of $1M, gains 0%, safety 9 of 10, schools 8 of 10
0%
AddressTax on $1MKeptGainsWealth taxHeirsCost
Abu Dhabi0%$1M0%NoneNo inheritance tax70
Dubai0%$1M0%NoneNo inheritance tax74

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer. Wealth tax is the top rate. Cost is the Patrician.ch index where Zurich is 100.

Who gets in

The route into the UAE.

Golden Visa via property of AED 2M or a company, or an employment visa in days. 9% corporate tax on profits above AED 375K.

Residence by investment · 2 of 2Founder & talent · 2 of 2Remote work visa · 2 of 2

The UAE's passport scores 85.3 on the Henley 2026 mobility index. All 65 passports, ranked.

Keep reading

The UAE, head to head.

Dubai vs Abu DhabiHead to headZurich vs DubaiHead to headMonaco vs DubaiHead to headDubai vs SingaporeHead to headLondon vs DubaiHead to headMiami vs DubaiHead to headTel Aviv vs DubaiHead to headZug vs DubaiHead to headLisbon vs DubaiHead to head

Leaving Dubai: the exit tax · Moving from Dubai · Every country on the board · Glossary

Questions

The short answers.

Where should a high earner live in the UAE?

Abu Dhabi ranks first in the UAE, at 0% on $1,000,000 and ahead on the engine score (safety, schools, sun, beauty, cost and ease of entry). Dubai is the alternative.

Ties on tax are broken by the Patrician.ch engine score at its default weights (safety, schools, sun, beauty, cost and ease of entry). Your own income and passports can reorder the list.

How much income tax does a $1M earner pay in the UAE?

0% effective across the 2 addresses on the Patrician.ch 2026 model, single filer, before social contributions.

Does the UAE tax capital gains?

No. None of the 2 addresses in the UAE taxes a resident's capital gains on listed securities.

Does the UAE have a wealth tax?

No. None of the 2 addresses in the UAE carries an annual wealth tax on the Patrician.ch model.

Does the UAE have an inheritance tax?

No inheritance tax in the UAE. The UAE levies no inheritance or estate tax.

Source: UAE Ministry of Finance, current to September 2026.

How does a foreigner get residence in the UAE?

Golden Visa via property of AED 2M or a company, or an employment visa in days.

9% corporate tax on profits above AED 375K. Routes that matter for money: Residence by investment, Founder & talent, Remote work visa.

Are millionaires moving to the UAE?

Yes. The UAE saw a net inflow of 9,800 millionaires in 2025 on the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report, against +6,700 in 2024.

That is a country figure, not a city one. Henley's 2026 report published no new flow estimates, so 2025 is the latest.

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The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States · Americans moving abroad · Tax calculator

Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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