UAE visa changes have made headlines this week.
Whether it is Schengen changes for UAE residents or changes for overstaying tourists in the emirates changes have been made that could affect hundreds of thousands of people.
Plus Dubai International Airport is taking a step closer to ditching passports and boarding cards all together as it trials biometric technology as a high-tech solution to passing through airports.
Elsewhere Arabian Business introduced the Dubai 100 – our collection of the leaders, thinkers and business people making an impact on the city.
Plus news broke of Salt Bae feeding a wanted billionaire in his restaurant, a Saudi rapper being ditched from the second series of Netflix show Dubai Bling, new laws for expats in Saudi Arabia and more.
Catch up with the 10 biggest news stories you might have missed this week.
Schengen visa: UAE residents travelling to EU now no longer need visa stamps
The European Union (EU) has approved a new strategy to move the physical Schengen visa applications and stickers to a digital system, according to a report by Schengen Visa Info.
According to the Parliament of the EU, the report on the digitalisation of visa procedures in the Schengen area was adopted with 34 votes in favour, five against, and 20 abstentions.
New UAE visa: Overstaying tourists to face absconding charges, fines, blacklist
Those who overstay their visa expiration could further be blacklisted and banned from entering the UAE or any GCC if they do not exit after their visas expire.
The new rules for visa charges and fines follow sweeping visa changes last week. Moreover, they could face a fine starting at AED5,000. Prices can vary according to the emirate’s jurisdiction.
Dubai 100: Meet the 100 people you need to know in the emirate
Dubai is an international, cosmopolitan, and remarkably successful city, home to some of the world’s greatest thought leaders, thinkers, and business people.
It is no surprise, therefore, that ranking just 100 people in Dubai is a difficult task. While it’s important to state that no singular list could capture in one snapshot the entirety of Dubai’s most powerful leaders, this list has sought to mark the most inspirational and influential from among the emirate’s elite.
Compiled by the editorial board of Arabian Business, this list represents a power ranking of those 100 people at the very top of Dubai. The list includes some expected, and unexpected, names, and is as diversified as Dubai’s very own business and lifestyle ecosystem.
Abu Dhabi to open massive new $3bn airport terminal: Reports
The opening is most likely to take place on December 2 this year, which is also the UAE National Day, the report said.
Construction for the new terminal began in 2012 and was due for completion in 2017, however due to a few challenges, the construction was delayed.
UAE to India flight forced to land after catching fire
The Air India Express flight from Abu Dhabi to Calicut was carrying 184 passengers when the pilot detected flames in one of the engines, the ANI news service reports.
The B737-800 plane was flying from the UAE to India when the problem was detected and the pilot returned to ground safely. Air India Express said that all passengers were safe and the issue has been reported to aviation authorities.
Salt Bae feeds Angolan fugitive billionaire Isabel dos Santos in Dubai
The 39-year-old was seen feeding dos Santos, who is accused of fraud, embezzlement and money laundering, a steak directly from a knife.
The Angolan billionaire has been placed under red notice by the global police agency Interpol, asking authorities across the world to locate and arrest her immediately. dos Santos, who has continuously dodged the authorities, was seen in Dubai two days back which can “cost up to several thousand pounds per cut, in a series of Instagram stories,” the report said.
Dubai International Airport scraps passport rules, boarding passes
Dubai International Airport (DXB) has launched a new biometric system, which will allow passengers to travel without a passport or boarding pass from the emirate, according to a report by Gulf News.
According to the report, the move is part of Dubai’s efforts to develop smart services for seamless travel for all, aligned with the leadership’s directives to combine advanced technology in government services, thus enhancing quality of life.
Dubai Bling season 2: Netflix fires Saudi superstar Amy Roko over “dating” storyline
The 29-year-old Saudi, who has never publicly revealed her name or face – was secretly lined up as a new cast member for Season 2 of the Netflix hit show, for which filming recently began. Sources say that Roko was told she would be part of a “dating” storyline, which she was uncomfortable participating in.
“The next day she got an email saying that Netflix didn’t feel she was the right fit for the storyboard so they wouldn’t be continuing with her,” a source told Arabian Business.
Saudi Arabia changes expat marriage laws
An expat resident can get married in a court in Saudi Arabia, and have the contract attested even if the wife is in the Kingdom on a transit of visit visa, the Ministry said.
A stipulation is that the father of both husband and wife are residents of the Kingdom.
Major new Abu Dhabi bridge opened
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, inaugurated Umm Yifeenah Bridge on Thursday.
The new 11km superhighway will provide a fast connection between Al Reem Island, Umm Yifeenah Island, and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street in Abu Dhabi.
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