Desk research against primary sources. Figures are traced to the issuing UAE authority and linked on the page.
The AED 20,000 monthly salary bar is a minimum, not a target to approach — falling under it by any amount fails the requirement outright, and suitable housing is assessed as a separate, parallel condition rather than something a higher salary can substitute for. Both have to hold at the same time, so a strong salary with unsuitable housing, or suitable housing on a salary below the threshold, is still a rejection either way.
Health insurance is where the cost surprises people, because it is priced on age rather than on the sponsorship itself — a parent in their seventies costs meaningfully more to insure than one in their fifties, which is why the AED 8,000–20,000 range is so wide. Get an actual quote for your specific parents’ ages before budgeting the sponsorship, since assuming the lower end of that range applies to you is the mistake that most often derails the plan financially partway through.