Dubai: Senior officials from the health and immigration departments said on Sunday the number of people needing new residence visas is again growing steadily.
Qadi Saeed Al Murooshid, director general of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), said the inauguration of a medical fitness test centre at the Knowledge Village that the number of people at the medical centres has grown and more new centres will be opened including one in Jebel Ali very soon.
Expatriates are required to undergo tests including those for HIV and Hepatitis C before being given a new or renewed residence visa. Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of the Dubai Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, said the UAE is "fit and healthy". "I can prove the number of people coming to Dubai is increasing," he said.
"The number of people tested last year was 500,000. It has already reached 450,000 as of the end of October," said Maisa Al Bustani, director of the medical fitness services department in the DHA.
She said another centre will also be opened at Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafza). Al Murooshid said the DHA has 11 centres now. The main hub in Muhaisnah caters to 5,000 people every day.
He said 18 other clinics are for housemaids and domestic workers. This category of workers is also required to undergo a chest X-ray for signs of TB.
"The collaboration with Tecom Investments is a step in the right direction, particularly with the large number of companies and employees operating out of its clusters," he said.
Abdul Latif Al Mulla, group CEO of Tecom Investments, said: "There has been a consistent increase in demand for visa applications across our 11 business parks."
