At the beginning of the last century, Dubai was a tiny town of around 1,200 people with a small port on the Persian Gulf. Thanks to its geographical location, however, it soon became an important port for foreign traders, particularly Indians, travelling to and from India. The local population relied mainly on pearl fishing for their livelihood, but this market declined in the 1930s when Japan became a leader in industrial pearl farming. Nevertheless, the port continued to attract foreign traders, with more and more of them settling in Dubai. As with neighbouring emirates, Dubai's prosperity began when oil deposits were discovered. However, as these were insignificant, the emirate decided to focus on tourism, technology and trade instead. Stunningly architectured skyscrapers and modern facilities quickly rose from the desert, and Dubai gradually became a glamorous and impressive metropolis. According to statistics, the city now welcomes around 20 million tourists each year.

It is therefore not surprising that the largest Bulgarian diaspora in the Arab world is located there. In a special interview for Radio Bulgaria's "Bridge of Faith" podcast, the Bulgarian Ambassador, Ivan Yordanov, reveals more.

“As of 2025, just over 3,800 Bulgarian citizens live in the territory of the United Arab Emirates,” Ambassador Yordanov notes.

The Bulgarian Sunday School “Bulgarche” was established in Dubai in 2007, on the initiative of the Bulgarian community and with the assistance of our Consulate General. Today, it educates more than 150 children. In 2014, the Zdravets folklore club was also founded there, uniting Bulgarians from various backgrounds and professions who are passionate about Bulgarian culture and folklore.

Ten years later, Bulgarians in Abu Dhabi also organised themselves and opened the UAE's second Bulgarian school, “Kambana”. This has further strengthened the bonds within the Bulgarian community, which strives to keep the Bulgarian spirit and traditions alive.

But what attracts Bulgarians to Dubai?

'The main incentive for all Bulgarian citizens is the wealth of professional development opportunities in the UAE across all fields,' notes Ambassador Yordanov. 'We have many musicians, doctors, IT specialists and bankers. The Bulgarian community has a diverse professional makeup, but it is very well organised and functions effectively, despite being a young diaspora in the United Arab Emirates.

There are various ways to experience Bulgarian culture, such as concerts and international folklore events in different emirates. People are interested in us. Of course, one must take into account the fact that more than 150 nationalities live in the UAE, each presenting its own culture and way of life. In this sense, the opportunities are sometimes so abundant that there is a certain oversaturation.”

Dubai is famous for the world's tallest building, the 828-metre-high Burj Khalifa. It is also home to one of the world's largest shopping centres, the Dubai Mall. Tourists can marvel at the Dubai Fountain, a dancing fountain, the colourful Dubai Miracle Garden botanical garden, and the man-made Palm Jumeirah island, which can even be seen from space. Surrounded by all these technological wonders, Bulgarians in Dubai strive to preserve their roots and maintain a connection with the spiritual traditions of their ancestors.

'The growing number of Bulgarians in the community gradually raised the question of the spiritual needs of Bulgarian citizens of the Orthodox faith,' notes Ambassador Ivan Yordanov. 'In 2023, they approached the Holy Synod with a request to conduct services in Bulgarian in the UAE and to establish a Bulgarian Orthodox Church Community (BOCC) headquartered in Dubai.' The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church appointed His Eminence Metropolitan Antoniy, who oversees the Western and Central European Diocese, to be responsible for the spiritual needs of Bulgarians in the UAE.

This led to the establishment of the BOCC 'Saint John of Rila' in Dubai — the youngest church community of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. While there is still no Bulgarian Orthodox church building or permanently appointed Bulgarian priest, the Bulgarians in the community hope that this will be achieved in the coming years. They are all extremely grateful to Ambassador Ivan Yordanov for organising and actively participating in the meetings between church and state institutions that resulted in the establishment of the church community.

Editor: Desislava Semkovska

English publication by E. Radkova