Saudi Arabia world’s second-best country for expats after Denmark

Denmark topped the 2024 Working Abroad Index, which is based on the latest expatriate survey conducted by the InterNations platform, after it was ranked sixth last year, topping two subcategories: work culture and satisfaction, and work and leisure.

The index is based on a survey that included more than 12,500 people living in foreign countries and evaluated their opinions in four subcategories, including professional prospects, which considers the expatriates’ classification of the local labor market and their professional opportunities, and whether moving to that country has improved their professional lives’ prospects.

The salary and job security subcategory is related to the state of the economy in the destination they are moving to, local job security, and whether expatriates are paid fairly for their work.

The work and leisure subcategory measures the happiness of expatriates through their working hours and work-life balance, as well as the subcategory of work culture and satisfaction, which focuses on overall job satisfaction and support for local business culture flexibility (e.g., remote work and flexible working hours).

According to the survey, 68% of expats in Denmark are happier than others, as they can work remotely for some time. Meanwhile, 82% agree that the work culture in the country supports flexibility, and three-quarters are generally satisfied with their jobs. However, expats are less satisfied with their job security.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is ranked the second, with more than half of the participants in the country evaluating the local labor market positively, and expatriates believe that moving to the Kingdom has improved their career prospects.

Belgium is also one of the biggest winners this year, advancing to third place from the 21st in 2023.

The UAE emerged as the world’s sixth-best country for expats, while Qatar and Oman took the 19th and 21st spots.

The US, the world’s largest economy, ranked 22nd, followed by Germany and the UK.