Shahed Al Marabta, Tifany Lachelle Smith, and Natasha Ridge Policy Paper 65 May 2023 Emirati Perceptions of Aging and Aged Care in the United Arab Emirates Introduction When compared to countries like the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), and Australia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is incredibly young, both in its age as a State and the average age of its residents. The median age of its population of over nine million is about 32 years old, with a life expectancy around 79 years of age (UAE Fact Sheet, 2023). Though life expectancy is quite high, the senior population 1 is quite low, with only two percent (nearly 165,000) of UAE residents being over the age of 65 (World Bank, 2021). 2 Currently, this small population is proportionally insignifcant, and only 1.6 people older than 65 were dependent on 100 working-aged people in 2020. However, by 2050, that number will rise to 18.5 (Statista, 2020), an almost twelve-fold increase. This substantial growth will undoubtedly impose fnancial, social, and medical strains on the country. Furthermore, Emirati families and chosen alternative caregivers, who currently provide most of the care for seniors, will also face increased pressures. In recent years, increased atention has been given to the needs of Senior Emiratis yet access to high-quality and accessible aged care remains a challenge. In 2019, Federal Law No. 9 was enacted to protect the rights of Senior Emiratis (see full law in Appendix B), yet despite this recent federal regulation, litle atention has been given to ensuring that the rights of this population are 1 Throughout this paper, the terms senior and Senior Emiratis are used interchangeably to describe individuals aged 60 and older and to align with the National Policy for Senior Emiratis. According to the UAE government portal, in addition to the new policy changes, the UAE Government has also instructed that the term ‘elderly Emiratis’ be replaced with ‘Senior Emiratis’ in recognition of their experience, giving, dedication and sincerity to UAE. (U.AE, 2023) 2 Ofcial data about the ederly defnes Senior Emiratis as 65 years and older. Executive Summary The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is facing a signifcant challenge regarding accessible high-quality aged care and service provisions for its growing senior population. While only accounting for two percent of the current population (165,000 people), the population of Emiratis aged 60 and older is estimated to increase twelve- fold by the year 2050. This demographic shif will have major fnancial, social, and cultural consequences. To provide a knowledge base on seniors in the UAE and their expectations about aged care, this policy paper discusses the fndings of a recent study about the perceptions, knowledge, and atitudes of Emiratis on aging and senior care in the context of the UAE. Our fndings suggest that younger Emiratis have a limited understanding of aging and their future physical and fnancial well-being. Moreover, while younger Emiratis prefer family as primary caregivers, younger Emiratis also prefer receiving secondary support from friends. Older Emiratis prefer to live in their homes or reside in aged care facilities and hospitals to receive care, whereas younger Emiratis tend to prefer living near family and friends. Overall, this study reveals that amongst both younger and older Emiratis, perceptions about care and support are highly infuenced by their existing close relationships and connections with Senior Emiratis.