Gateway 2040 brings US residency-linked infrastructure investment opportunity to Dubai

A major Orlando infrastructure project is coming to Dubai this September, offering regional investors the opportunity to participate in the transformation of one of Florida’s busiest tourism districts while accessing a pathway to US permanent residency through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.

Gateway 2040 will be showcased at the International Property Show (IPS) 2026, taking place from September 7-9 at Dubai World Trade Centre, where the project team will meet UAE and international investors at Stall E06, near Gate 8.

Located at the intersection of International Drive and Sand Lake Road in Orange County, Florida, Gateway 2040 proposes the comprehensive pedestrianisation of a key gateway into Orlando’s International Drive tourism district.

The project will reconstruct and widen existing sidewalks into an enhanced pedestrian promenade, incorporating landscaping, streetscaping and accessibility improvements while connecting seamlessly with Orange County’s planned pedestrian bridge.

The wider ambition is to create a more connected, pedestrian-focused destination that supports International Drive’s hotels, restaurants, attractions, entertainment venues and businesses.

Orange County’s 2024 Pedestrian Movement Study recorded an average of 1,150 pedestrians at the intersection on weekdays, with numbers reaching 1,364 on the peak recorded day.

EB-5 infrastructure investment pathway

For international investors, however, Gateway 2040 also presents another proposition.

The project is being structured as an EB-5 infrastructure investment, with private capital intended to finance the design, permitting and construction of the Promenade. Qualifying infrastructure projects are eligible for the current $800,000 minimum EB-5 investment threshold and benefit from a dedicated 2 per cent annual visa set-aside for infrastructure projects.

The EB-5 programme provides qualifying investors, their spouses and eligible unmarried children under 21 with a pathway towards US lawful permanent residency, subject to investment, job creation, source-of-funds and individual immigration requirements.

Each investment must support the creation of at least ten full-time US jobs per investor. Gateway 2040 is expected to generate employment across engineering, surveying, construction, landscape architecture and skilled trades, with a full economic analysis to quantify job creation against the EB-5 threshold.

“Gateway 2040 is about creating an arrival experience worthy of one of the world’s great tourism destinations,” said Joshua T. Wallack, Manager of Gateway 2040.

“For international investors, what makes the opportunity particularly compelling is that through the EB-5 programme, qualifying investors and their families have a direct pathway to permanent residency in the United States, within a short period of time. For investors in Dubai looking not only at where they place their capital, but also at the long-term opportunities they can create for their families, that is an incredibly powerful proposition.”

Upon completion, relevant property interests associated with the Promenade are intended to be conveyed to Orange County, supporting its long-term public ownership. For more info, visit Gatewayeb5.com