Abu Dhabi: A new entry visa system has been introduced to attract highly qualified professionals and brilliant minds to the country to vitalise its various sectors.
The system was approved during Sunday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Lt. General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, were present.
UAE to adopt new entry visa system
Shaikh Mohammad stressed that the UAE is seeking to be the first incubator of highly skilled professionals and talented human capital in all dynamic sectors.
He added that the UAE has always embraced openness, is governed by tolerance and its renaissance is made by the contribution of all its residents.
“We always strive to entrench the values of openness and tolerance and will never step back. We welcome great minds from the 200 nationalities living on our country. The UAE is the land of opportunities and the best environment to bring dreams to reality and unleash exceptional potential and talents of people,” Shaikh Mohammad said.
The Ruler of Dubai pointed out that the future economy will be talent-based. “Our economy will develop an environment that stimulates innovation,” he added.
The new visa system will be implemented in several phases. The first phase will include issuing entry visas for tourism, medical treatment and education. The second one will see the issuance of entry visas to attract innovative and inspirational entrepreneurs and exceptional experts in medical, scientific, research, technological and cultural domains.
Shaikh Mohammad issued instructions to set up special committees to determine the most important sectors that will be designated for the issuance of visas. The committee will develop a plan to draw in the most important and exceptional skilled individuals, regional as well as global.
The new visa system will give a big boost to tourism, health and education sectors by enhancing the UAE’s competitive excellence on the global stage. The conducive environment and lifestyle as well as financial facilities and sophisticated infrastructure are the most important factors to lure extraordinary competencies and high skills. The system will offer new facilities for international companies to shift their headquarters to this country.
The Cabinet also approved the accountancy standards guidebook, and the standard financial policies and procedures guidebook for the Federal government based on eligibility suggested by the Ministry of Finance in line with adopting international standards for managing the financial resources of the Federal government, and enhancing transparency through alignment of policies and strengthening the efficiency of financial practices and legislations.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal presented by the Ministry of Community Development to issue a legislation with the terms, conditions, and standards of the marriage financial grant so that it would include releasing the marriage grant in one payment as per the law to help Emirati citizens bear the marriage expenses. The law would also raise the maximum amount of the grant from Dh20.000 to Dh25.000.
The law states that certain categories would be exempted from some of the terms and conditions such as people with disabilities, and applicants supporting their families with their salaries because the father is either dead, or incapable of supporting his family.
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of UAE embassies in capitals around the world, and endorsed a number of international agreements in line with the UAE efforts to enhance its international position and support amicable relations with other states around the world.
