Dubai is the long-established trade, technology and hospitality hub of the Arab world. The UAE’s commercial capital has maintained socio-economic dynamism by adapting to the changing times and turning down no opportunity to consolidate its global standing. Over the years, the emirate has maintained a liberal visa regime to maintain its edge in attracting and retaining talent.

Visa policies play a key role in establishing a destination, whether as a tourist hotspot, a business hub or as a centre for education. A study by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) revealed its 57 member-states tend to be more restrictive than the rest of the world in visa policies. According to an Oxford Economics study, the potential gains from visa policy liberalisation is tremendous. It cited the UAE’s multiple-entry visa scheme for cruise tourists initiated by Dubai Tourism.

Before it became part of the UAE in December 1971, Dubai had its own visa policy. The Department of Naturalisation and Residency (DNRD) issued visas to those arriving through the Dubai Airport, which opened in 1960. After the formation of the UAE, immigration was handled by the Ministry of Interior. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) replaced the DNRD. It has been working on easing access to Dubai through a spate of visas.

Until the late 1980s, there used to be only two types of visas available to enter the country: Residence and Visitor. Now, according to the GDRFA website, the UAE issues more than 100 different types of visas divided into 24 categories. Citizens of 47 countries, apart from the AGCC nations, can get visa on arrival. Their citizens do not require advance visa arrangements to enter the UAE and can obtain a visa upon arrival for up to 90 days.

The UAE also introduced a free 48-hour transit visa. In November that year, the UAE approved a long-term visa system for investors, entrepreneurs, specialized talent and researchers in the fields of science and knowledge and outstanding students. The decision followed the approval earlier to grant investors a 10-year residency visa and residency visas of up to 10 years for specialists in the medical, scientific, research and technical fields, and scientists and creative talents of culture and arts, including their spouses and children. A new multiple-entry tourist visa for all nationalities valid for five years had also been introduced from Q1 2020.

In September 2018, the UAE Cabinet approved a law to provide retired residents over the age of 55 years a long-term visa for five years. The visa may be renewed if the eligibility criteria are met.

In November 2020, the UAE expanded the ‘Golden Visa’ scheme to attract skilled and high-potential workers. Under the scheme, certified doctors can also obtain a long-term residency visa. This programme came into effect in May 2019. Within a couple of months, over 400 investors and businessmen, along with members of their families, were issued such visas, with more being granted routinely. This is a long-term, 10-year visa that is renewable. The expansion enables PhD-holders who have studied from one of the top 500 universities in the world to apply for a grant. Engineers who have specialised in computers, electronics, programming electronics, electricals, AI and big data are also eligible.

Holders of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence can also apply for this visa. Foreign investors who have invested at least Dh10 million can also apply for the Golden Visa irrespective of whether this investment comes via an investment fund, the setup of a company, the purchase of the real estate, or funding into strategic sectors. Entrepreneurs that have injected a minimum capital of Dh500,000, or those who have been selected by accredited business incubators within the country, can obtain a renewable, multiple-entry visa initially valid for six months.

Dubai’s retirement visa initiative rivals similar programmes in the Caribbean and European countries like the UK, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Malta. Data from the Dubai Statistics Centre shows expats represent almost 92 per cent of Dubai’s population, and 170,000 people in Dubai are over 55 years old. Another 12 per cent of Dubai’s population is between 45 and 54 years old. The Retire in Dubai programme is the first-of-its-kind programme in the region. Through the investment-linked long-term residency visas, over 6,800 expat investors from 70 countries were issued Golden Cards in phases and the process brought in investments totalling Dh100 billion.

The UAE’s decision to offer long-term visas to property investors, scientists and entrepreneurs is part of its ongoing efforts to support the country’s move towards a globally competitive knowledge economy. The UAE is now among the Top 20 countries in the world for allowing visa-free/visa-on-arrival to citizens of 167 countries, according to Henley Passport Index 2019. In the 2018 edition, the UAE ranked 33^rd, offering visa-free travel to 133 countries, up from 121 countries in 2017.