Day one of the Gulf News Immigration & Citizenship Exhibition (GNICE) 2023 welcomed exhibitors, guests, entrepreneurs, industry experts and sponsors to the third edition of the annual event.
The second day of the event is underway today at the Anantara Downtown Hotel until 7pm.
Visitors made their way around the 23 exhibition stands before hearing from industry leaders and powerful figureheads on a number of valuable panel discussions.
The event kicked off with an inspirational talk titled, ‘Empower Yourself: Strategies to Overcome Skills Gap’, with guest speaker Shakir Kantawala, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, WingsWay Training Institute. He told the audience, “Empowerment is the key to unlocking opportunities in the global job market. It’s about having the skills and confidence to broaden your career and life horizons.”
Next came the day’s largest panel discussion where five experts took to the stage to share their thoughts on how to unlock personal potential in a new country. Ryan Aizaz Ul Ghani, Head of Operations, Middle East, Aussizz Migration & Education Consultants explained the importance of developing a relationship with your agent when looking to re-locate abroad. “The biggest misconception that people have is that agents guarantee people residency in certain countries. A lot of agents promise things that they can’t do.”
Throughout the day, guests had the opportunity to meet with exhibitors and hear what their options are for emigrating abroad, including the entry requirements for certain countries, the visa application process and the eligibility. Destinations such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the US and UK were among the most talked about places for those seeking a brighter future abroad.
A dedicated talk by Y-Axis Canada titled, ‘Immigrate to Canada with a Start-Up Visa’ shed light on the different types of visa the country offers and what they mean for applicants. “A start-up visa is a great way to get a permanent residency in Canada as you can also bring your family through this programme,” explained Hamid Javadi, Director, Y-Axis Canada.
In the afternoon, guests heard from speakers at two further panel discussions tackling the subjects of studying abroad and an insightful guide to immigration to the UK and Canada, held by Ace Luxury Migration.
Concluding day one was a private panel discussion titled, ‘Business Beyond Borders’ where business leaders spoke about how to successfully build a company in a foreign country, including working in a new environment, dealing with clients in multiple time zones and navigating language barriers. One of the panellists, Rahim Lakhani, President & CEO, The Lakhani Group, said working in Europe has greatly benefitted his business. “Being based in Portugal, with clients from LA to Shanghai, it’s a major win,” he said. “We are able to capture both markets from a central location.” An exclusive networking opportunity followed giving guests had the opportunity to meet directly with industry figureheads.
GNICE 2023 is a two-day event held at Anantara, Business Bay, and is expected to draw over 2,500 visitors to the exhibition and features the UAE’s top immigration companies.
