According to the Overseas Labourer Management Department under the Ministry of Labour, War-Invalids and Social Affairs, in the first six months of 2010, the total number of Vietnamese labourers to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached over 4,400 labourers, a year-on-year increase of 160%.

The UAE is focusing on the investment in the infrastructure in the oil, electricity energy, water, nuclear, medical and educational sectors; therefore, it lacks skilled workers. In addition, there is a recovery in the development of the tourism and service sectors, leading to an increase in the demand for labourers in the sectors while there is also an increase of 2% in employment growth in the UAE.