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The short answer
Supporting parents from the UAE works best as a fixed monthly naira allowance set after your own UAE essentials and savings, with health cover and an emergency fund planned separately rather than paid from the allowance. In the example below, a AED 14,000 salary funds UAE costs of AED 9,800, savings of AED 2,100 and AED 2,100 a month for parents, converted when you choose.
For many Nigerians in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, sending money to parents is not optional; it is part of the salary before it arrives. The risk is that support grows by request, one urgent call at a time, until neither the parents nor the sender can plan. A fixed, written budget protects both. The example below is just that, an example; use your own figures.
Start with the UAE side
Your parents depend on you staying employed and housed in the UAE. Put UAE essentials first: rent, school fees if you have children, transport, food, phone and insurance. Then savings, including money for the end of a job or a move home. Only then the parents' allowance. That order sounds harsh, but it is the order that keeps the allowance going for years.
An example monthly budget
Example only. Aisha earns AED 14,000 a month in Dubai and shares a two-bedroom flat.
| Item | AED per month |
|---|---|
| Rent share | 4,500 |
| Utilities and internet | 600 |
| Food and household | 1,800 |
| Transport | 900 |
| Phone | 250 |
| Insurance and medical extras | 350 |
| Personal and social | 1,400 |
| UAE essentials subtotal | 9,800 |
| Savings (15%) | 2,100 |
| Parents' allowance (15%) | 2,100 |
| Total | 14,000 |
Check: 4,500 + 600 + 1,800 + 900 + 250 + 350 + 1,400 = 9,800; 9,800 + 2,100 + 2,100 = 14,000. Fifteen per cent of AED 14,000 is AED 2,100.
Turning the allowance into naira
The AED 2,100 becomes naira at whatever rate applies when Aisha converts, so the naira amount her parents receive will change from month to month. She has two choices: fix the dirham amount and let the naira vary, or fix the naira amount her parents can rely on and let the dirham cost vary. Parents usually plan better with a fixed naira figure. If she chooses that, she keeps a small buffer in her savings to absorb months when the naira figure costs more dirhams.
What the allowance should and should not cover
- Covers: food, transport, utilities, airtime, small household repairs.
- Paid directly instead: rent, large medical bills, school fees for siblings. Paying the landlord, hospital or school directly keeps the allowance for everyday life and gives you receipts.
- Planned separately: health cover and an emergency fund.
Health cover for parents
Hospital bills are the most common reason support budgets break. Private health maintenance organisations sell plans for older people. As one example of what is on offer, Bastion HMO's Seniors Plan for people aged 55 and over listed three tiers in February 2026: Oak at ₦290,109 a year, Blossom at ₦461,554 and Golden at ₦1,068,507, and said it covers pre-existing conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. These are the company's own figures; we have not checked its standing with the NHIA, and you should compare plans, read exclusions and confirm hospital lists before buying. Spread over 12 months, the Oak tier is about ₦24,176 a month per parent (₦290,109 divided by 12).
For more on choosing cover, see HMO health cover for parents in Nigeria.
Talking to siblings about shares
Where several children support the same parents, agree the split openly. A sibling in Lagos may give time and transport rather than cash; one in Dubai may give more money. Write down who covers what each month, review it once a year, and adjust when someone's income changes. Parents find it easier to receive from one coordinated plan than from several separate transfers that arrive on different days.
An emergency fund held in Nigeria
Keep a separate naira emergency fund that a sibling or your parents can reach with your agreement, so a weekend emergency does not mean an expensive rushed transfer. Agree in advance what counts as an emergency. And agree a rule for unexpected calls: the FTC warns that family emergency scams use urgency and cloned voices, so any request from a new number should be checked by calling your parents on the number you already know.
What to check first
- Your UAE essentials and savings, before the allowance.
- Whether your parents prefer a fixed naira amount.
- Which large bills you will pay directly.
- Health cover options and their exclusions.
- Who can reach the emergency fund, and when.
Related: emergency money at the weekend and paying a hospital bill from the UAE.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account holds naira alongside USD, GBP and EUR, and you can Swap when you choose, with the rate and fee shown first, then send the allowance. The Personal Assistant (Eva by default) can prepare the monthly transfer and remind you when it is due; nothing moves without your approval. Naira for emergencies can sit in a Savings Box in Nigeria.
Questions people ask
How much of my UAE salary should I send to my parents?
There is no right figure. Set it after UAE essentials and savings; the example here uses 15% of a AED 14,000 salary, or AED 2,100 a month.
Should I send a fixed naira amount or a fixed dirham amount?
Parents usually plan better with a fixed naira amount. Keep a small buffer in your savings for months when it costs more dirhams.
How much is health insurance for elderly parents in Nigeria?
As one example, Bastion HMO listed its Seniors Plan for 55+ at ₦290,109 to ₦1,068,507 a year in February 2026. Compare plans and read exclusions before buying.
Should the allowance cover my parents' rent?
It is often better to pay rent and large bills directly to the landlord or provider, and keep the allowance for everyday costs.
Sources
- Bastion HMO: How the Bastion Health Seniors Plan works (25 Feb 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- US Federal Trade Commission: Family emergency scams · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.