The Emirate also saw a 63 per cent increase in the number of residency visas this year
Dubai has seen a 52 per cent increase in the number of Golden Visas issued in the first half of this year, as compared to the same period last year, according to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) – Dubai.
Introduced in 2019, the Golden Visa is a long-term residency which allows expatriates to live, work or study in the country for up to 10 years. Among those eligible for long-term residency in the UAE are investors, entrepreneurs, scholars and specialists, outstanding students and frontline heroes among others.
As of November 2022, Dubai had issued more than 150,000 golden visas to eligible residents, investors, professionals and others.
This came as the GDRFA announced details about the upcoming International Conference on Policymaking: The Future of Ports, at a press conference on Tuesday.
According to the GDRFA, the Emirate saw a 63 per cent increase in the number of residency visas while tourist visas increased by 21 per cent during the January-June period as foreigners seeking greener pastures and tourists looking to explore UAE continued to flock to the emirate.
Dubai’s population has grown significantly in the post-pandemic, attracting foreign investors and professionals for successful handling of the pandemic and hosting Expo 2020.
The emirate’s population has grown by over 72,700 since January 2023, reaching 3.623 million as against 3.550 million at the beginning of the year.
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Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.