Guess which person in the image above could be retiring soon? Pro tip: It’s not the one on the right…

You’ve been alive for almost half a century – it’s only natural you want to bunk off, kick up your feet and just chill out.

The minimum retirement age in the UAE for Emirati employees has now been raised to 49, according to the General Pension and Social Security Authority.

While still a young age to retire, bear in mind that the minimum retirement age last year was 48, and is set to be raised to 50 around the same time next year. And this isn’t a forced retirement age – just the first year in which it’s an option.

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There is one caveat, however – if you’re looking to retire, you have to have worked for at least 20 years to be eligible for your pension.

The new law will come into effect from February 28, so don’t go handing in your notice just yet.

For expats in the UAE the retirement age is 65 – meaning people can easily apply for work permits up until they are 65. And while expats aren’t eligible for pensions here, the gratuity scheme that sees end of service pay outs from companies to employers acts as a form of pension for many.

Just to give you a benchmark as to where the UAE’s retirement age stands with the rest of the world, here are some of the highest and lowest retirement ages from other major countries:

United States: 67 years old for men and women.

Greece: 67 years old for men and women.

Norway: 67 years old for men and women.

Switzerland: 65 years old for men, 64 years old for women.

United Kingdom: 65 years old for men, 62 years and 4 months for women.

Saudi Arabia: 62 years old for men and women.

Pakistan: 60 years old for men and women.

India: 60 years old for men and women.

Turkey: 60 years old for men, 58 years old for women.

China: 60 years old for men, 55 years old for female civil servants and 50 for female workers.

Indonesia: 58 years old for men and women (this is the second lowest after the UAE).

United Arab Emirates: 49 for Emiratis, 65 for expats.

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Photos: Getty.