The UAE's per-capita income last year rose 16 percent to a record 196,100 dirhams ($54,430) compared to 2007 as oil prices reached their highest levels, UAE daily Emirates Business reported on Thursday.
The UAE ranked second richest in per-capita income in the Arab world after Qatar.
Per-capita wealth has more than doubled from 90,400 dirhams in 2003, but this year the economic downturn is expected to trim the figure from last year’s record level, the newspaper reported.
The price of oil, the UAE's main export, has fallen significantly since the mid-2008 peak of $147 per barrel and the financial crisis has led to a slump in its once-booming real estate sector.