UAE Assures Safety of 30,000 Kenyans As Middle East Tensions Persist

UNFCC/Flickr

Expo City Dubai (file photo).

24 April 2026

Capital FM (Nairobi)

Nairobi — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has assured Kenyan families that their relatives working in the Gulf nation are safe despite ongoing regional tensions.

In an interview with Capital FM Kenya, UAE Minister of State Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri said the safety of all residents, including approximately 30,000 Kenyans, remains a top priority.

"The Kenyan community is not a guest in the UAE - it is part of our family, and we will do everything necessary to ensure its safety," the Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

"Indeed, citizens and residents, including our valued African community, are going about their daily lives, businesses remain open, and essential services continue to operate seamlessly at full capacity."

He cited efforts by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who has personally visited injured civilians.

He added; "Let me speak directly to Kenyan families: your loved ones are safe. His Highness President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, visited injured civilians in hospital, among them an Indian national, and affirmed: "They are all our responsibility".

The Minister added that businesses remain open, essential services are fully operational and daily life continues uninterrupted.

While acknowledging that regional instability poses challenges to trade, security, and infrastructure, Al Hajeri framed the situation as a test of the UAE's long-standing model of tolerance, coexistence, and economic openness.

"Our vision and our determination to prosper under any conditions, however challenging, remain unwavering. Backed by strong institutions, decisive leadership, and a resilient people, we will ensure - and indeed, continue to grow and prosper," Al Hajeri said.

Data by the Kenya's Ministry of Trade approximates about 30,000 to 50,000 Kenyans live and work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as of late 2024-2025.

"They are employed in various sectors, including hospitality, security, transport, ICT, aviation, and domestic work, with the majority residing in Dubai. This population is supported by a 2018 memorandum of understanding on labor between the two countries," according to the Ministry's Website.

The ministry noted that recognising the great potential to leverage on the untapped skilled labour needs in the UAE, the 4th Kenya- UAE Session of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) held between 11th - 14th August, 2024 highlighted the need to address the absence of mutual recognition of academic, technical and professional qualifications and certificates that has prevented skilled Kenyans accessing the job market in the UAE.

The outcome was the commitment from both sides to undertake the necessary steps to engage UAE officials with Kenyan tertiary and institutions of higher learning to demonstrate the high standard of the existing infrastructure and richly diverse curricula in the education sector.

The Ministry led by Lee Kinyanjui adds that Kenya and the UAE have seen an expansion in direct air connectivity, facilitating ease of travel and exchange of goods between the two countries.

In addition to the frequent passenger and cargo flights by Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, the second largest airline, resumed both passenger and non-passenger flights on the Nairobi- Abu Dhabi route last year after a three-year hiatus following the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, signalling the importance of Kenya as an aviation hub for UAE based carriers. Furthermore, Flydubai Airlines that operates flights between the UAE and Mombasa since January 2024 has supported tourism, investment, and access to opportunities for our coastal communities.

Read the original article on Capital FM.