Abstract
This paper examines old-age security in the South Asia–Gulf migration corridor, focusing on lower- and middle-income families in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with particular attention to long term resident Indian nationals. While migration systems remain structured around temporariness, many migrant workers spend extended periods in the region, resulting in growing ageing and multigenerational non-national populations, alongside emerging policy issues. The paper identifies three interrelated challenges. First, financial security in retirement remains limited, as most migrant workers rely on a combination of end-of-service indemnity (EOSI), life savings and family support, which often remain inadequate or unpredictable sources of income. Second, access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare after retirement is often limited, particularly for lower-income groups. Third, maintaining residential security in later life can be difficult. Although visa extensions are available, the cost of living, particularly of housing and care, can make ageing in the Gulf financially unviable for many migrant workers. These outcomes reflect cumulative disparities over the life course, shaped by differences in wages, employment stability and access to employer benefits, compounded by limited old-age protection in countries of origin, resulting in gaps across both destination and origin contexts. This is particularly significant given that an increasing number of workers are born and raised in the UAE and the wider Gulf region, making return migration to origin countries in retirement less viable. Policy approaches should, therefore, move beyond return-oriented models to address income security, access to care, and residential stability for long-term residents in later life.