The UAE’s recent move to issue Green Visas is set to attract more British innovators, creatives and entrepreneurs to the emirate and further strengthen its partnership with the UK.
That’s according to Marwan Al Naqbi, head of economic affairs at the UAE Embassy in London. “The partnership between the UK and the UAE is one of the strongest examples of the benefits of mutual exchange between two nations, with a long-standing friendship and a shared history,” the diplomat told Arabian Business.
The Green Visa – which will allow expatriates to apply for work without being sponsored by an employer, and include children up to the age of 25 on their permits – will “attract even more diverse groups to the UAE as we extend our progressive vision for the Middle East”, Al Naqbi said.
The UAE Government also announced it will allow people who have lost their jobs to remain in the country for up to 180 days from the earlier 30 days.
“By making it easier for highly skilled individuals, investors, entrepreneurs and graduates from the UK to live and work in the UAE, we are creating new ties between our countries that foster mutual prosperity and further deepen the UK-UAE relationship,” Al Naqbi added.
Attracting high calibre Brits
The UAE is already home to over 100,000 British citizens who work and live in the country, as well as more than 5,000 British businesses, according to embassy data.
John Martin St. Valery (pictured below), chairman of British Business Group Dubai and Northern Emirates, said the Green Visa would attract a high calibre of talent, entrepreneurs and investors.
“Strengthening the UAE with a focus on human capital, with initiatives such as this, is integral to support the aspirations of the nation, particularly for sectors such as AI, healthcare, sustainability and cyber security,” he said.
“These progressive changes naturally lead to a sense of belonging in a largely expat community. By creating more of a sense of permanence, the new visa will directly contribute to an increase in business set-ups and property purchases.”
Joe Hepworth, CEO of Dubai-based trade and investment advisors, British Centres for Business, said that the new 180-day stay of execution in particular is “a very big deal”.
“It creates an accessible talent pool, which the UAE has never really had before, for employers to recruit from and, as an employer, that’s enormously helpful,” he said.
The UAE has also previously announced a plan to grant visas of five to 10 years to wealthy property investors, entrepreneurs and specialised talents as it looks to enhance its attractiveness as a business destination. It has also introduced a one-year remote working visa to attract global digital nomads.
“We already saw lots of activity last year with the remote working visa which, coupled with the UAE’s largely open status through Covid, appealed to UK nomads who could manage their businesses from the UAE,” said Hepworth (pictured below).
“The Green Visa effectively formalises, improves and extends on the remote visa. With travel restrictions being eased and the Dubai Expo ahead, I foresee this being a very popular mechanism to attract and retain British talent,” he added.
Hepworth predicted that the Green Visa would help attract tech businesses in particular.
“With tech businesses being typically asset-light and, to a degree, location-agnostic it’s well positioned for this community. Add to that the UAE’s own advances and growing needs in this broad sector, and the wider regional opportunities throughout MENASA and it’s a very well-suited platform for that industry.”
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