Expats in the UAE sent home more than AED 80 billion during the first half of this year.
According to the Central Bank, around 40 per cent of this amount (AED 33 billion) was transferred through money exchange companies and the rest from banks.
India was the top receiving country, accounting for 37.2 per cent of the total remittances.
The other major beneficiaries were Pakistan (10.5 per cent), the Philippines (7.2 per cent) and Egypt (6.3 per cent).