RIYADH: Close to 5,000 Saudis are currently undertaking various economic activities in the United Arab Emirates topping the citizens of other GCC countries in this oil-rich emirate with a ratio of 44.17 percent, Al-Eqtisadiah reported yesterday, quoting a report of the UAE Finance Ministry.
According to the report, a total of 4,895 Saudis were living in the UAE until the end of 2007. They were 4,176 at the end of 2006. More than 700 Saudis entered the country since the beginning of the current year. The report said the bulk of the Saudis were working in the sectors of commerce and industry in addition to other vocations such as medicine, law, insurance and shipping.
The Kuwaitis, at 2,332, occupy second place, the Bahrainis and the Omanis third and the Qataris the fourth.
The GCC, established in 1981, comprises Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirate, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. According to agreements the citizens of each GCC member can live and work in any of the six countries. They also move freely and travel without visa.
The report said close to 12,000 GCC citizens own real estate in the UAE in addition to more than 13,000 pieces of land.
The Saudis own a total of 1,357 houses and 1,450 pieces of land in various emirates in the UAE occupying the second place after the Kuwaitis who own more than 7,000 houses.