UAE EXPATS PRIORITISE SAVING, BUT CONTINUE LIVING LARGE

New surveys show UAE residents saving more while protecting travel and everyday comforts

- BY JUSTIN VARGHESE

As 2026 gets underway, many expats in the UAE are approaching the year with a quieter kind of resolve.

Saving money sits firmly at the top of the agenda. A new Toluna survey shows 57 per cent of UAE residents list managing finances or saving as their top New Year's resolution, making it the leading priority for the second year in a row. Career goals remain important, with 37 per cent planning to look for a new role, better position or salary increase in the year ahead.

What stands out is how stable this mindset has become. Financial discipline hovered around the 50 per cent mark in 2023 and 2024, surged in 2025, and has now held steady into 2026. For many expats, saving is no longer a temporary response to rising costs. It is becoming a default habit.

"For the second year running, saving money sits at the heart of New Year's resolutions in the UAE," said Danny Mendonca, managing director for the Middle East and Africa at Toluna. "What's changed is that people are becoming more selective rather than restrictive."

COST PRESSURES STILL SHAPE PRIORITIES

That selectivity reflects the realities expats continue to navigate. More than half of residents (54 per cent) cite rising living costs as their biggest concern for 2026, followed by personal financial security (45 per cent) and housing-related expenses (44 per cent), according to the Toluna data.

While concerns have eased slightly from last year's peaks, affordability remains the main force shaping decisions. The conversation has shifted from cutting everything back to deciding what is genuinely worth spending on.

HEALTH AND FOOD THROUGH A VALUE LENS

Everyday choices, especially around food, show how that thinking plays out.

About 34 per cent of residents say they plan to eat healthier in 2026, but "healthy" no longer means premium. Instead, it means practical.

■ 66 per cent prioritise fresh, minimally processed food

MONEY MATTERS