Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (1,200,000 (2014) 12.53% of the UAE's population) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Abu Dhabi · Dubai · Sharjah · Al Ain · Ras-al-Khaimah | |
| Languages | |
| Urdu · Punjabi · Pashto · Sindhi · Balochi · Seraiki · Kashmiri · Arabic · other Pakistani languages | |
| Religion | |
| Islam · Christianity · Hinduism |
Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates include expatriates from Pakistan who have settled in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as Emirati people who have Pakistani heritage. With a population of over 1.2 million, Pakistanis are the second largest national group in the UAE after Indians, constituting 12.5% of the country's total population. They are the third largest overseas Pakistani community, behind the Pakistani diaspora in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The population is diverse and consists of people from all over Pakistan, including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. The majority of Pakistanis are Muslim, with significant minorities of Christians, Hindus and other religions. The majority are found in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively, while a significant population is spread out in Sharjah and the remaining Northern Emirates. Dubai alone accounts for a Pakistani population of 400,000.
From the time when heavy Pakistani migration occurred to the Middle East, a number of Pakistanis went to the United Arab Emirates. While many tend to be skilled and semi-skilled professionals, most are unskilled migrant workers. People from the Balochistan coast have been migrating to the UAE's shores since centuries, with many being part of the Bedoon community. Pakistanis outnumber Emirati nationals in three of UAE's emirates: Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.
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