Moving to Papua New Guinea from United Arab Emirates

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United Arab Emirates to Papua New Guinea — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Papua New Guinea, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How United Arab Emirates and Papua New Guinea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rateUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AE
0.5
PG
9.4
Road traffic deathsUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AE
5.9
PG
14.9

United Arab Emirates performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per personWorld Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AE
$3,727
PG
$133
Doctors per 10,000 peopleUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

AE
29.1
PG
0.6

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deathsUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AE
70.0
PG
38.0
CO₂ emissions per capitaWorld Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AE
18.3t
PG
0.5t

Papua New Guinea performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 peopleUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AE
40.0
PG
0.2
Water stress levelUnited Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AE
1533.3%
PG
0.1%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Papua New Guinea leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateThe World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AE
2.7%
PG
2.6%
GDP per capitaThe World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AE
$75,600
PG
$4,200

United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Papua New Guinea leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyThe World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AE
79.6 yrs
PG
69.4 yrs
Infant mortalityThe World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AE
5.1
PG
33.6

United Arab Emirates performs better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Abu DhabiRain: 3.5 in/yr (89 mm)
93°/68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Port MoresbyRain: 35.4 in/yr (899 mm)
88°/74°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsAbu DhabiPort Moresby
Jan–Mar78°/56°F (26°/14°C)89°/74°F (32°/24°C)
Apr–Jun99°/72°F (37°/22°C)88°/74°F (31°/23°C)
Jul–Sep106°/81°F (41°/27°C)87°/73°F (30°/23°C)
Oct–Dec87°/64°F (31°/18°C)90°/74°F (32°/24°C)
View all months
MonthAbu DhabiPort Moresby
Jan75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C)90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C)
Feb76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C)89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C)
Mar83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C)89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C)
Apr92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C)88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C)
May101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C)88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C)
Jun103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C)87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C)
Jul108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C)86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C)
Aug107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C)87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C)
Sep104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C)88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C)
Oct96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C)90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C)
Nov87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C)90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C)
Dec78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C)90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C)

Data: Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates and Papua New Guinea. To live, work, or study long-term in Papua New Guinea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Papua New Guinea's immigration authority.

United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter Papua New Guinea without a visa.
Papua New Guinea passport

Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Free
Papua New Guinea passport holders can enter United Arab Emirates without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Papua New Guinea?

With 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Papua New Guinea can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United Arab Emirates and Papua New Guinea.

Is Papua New Guinea safe for expats?

United Arab Emirates performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Papua New Guinea is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in United Arab Emirates.

How is healthcare in Papua New Guinea compared to United Arab Emirates?

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Papua New Guinea, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. Papua New Guinea scores 30 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).

What's the weather like in Papua New Guinea compared to United Arab Emirates?

The average high temperature in Port Moresby is 88°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Port Moresby receives around 35.4 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.

What language do they speak in Papua New Guinea?

The official languages in Papua New Guinea are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

AE PG
Population9,915,8039,593,498
CurrencyUnited Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK)
LanguagesArabicEnglish, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
Driving sideRightLeft
Calling code+971+675
Time zones11
Emergency number999000