Emiratis earn 3 times more than expats

Emirati households in Abu Dhabi earn three times more, on average, than expat families in the UAE's capital city, according to a study by the Emirate's Department of Economic Development (DED).

According to the study, published in UAE daily newspaper Gulf News, the average monthly income of UAE families was 47,066 dirhams ($12,825) last year compared with 15,000 dirhams for expats.

The report said Abu Dhabi was home to more than 50 percent of the country's 880,000 citizens, or about 18.5 percent of the population last year.

DED’s chief economic researcher Khalid Desouky said Emirati households have a higher income as they tend to be larger with an average of 10 members per family.

The gap in spending was also similar, with the average Emirati family spending 25,458 dirhams per month compared with 8,900 dirhams by an expat family.