UAE starts issuing permanent residency 'Golden Card

The new initiative has identified the first 6,800 qualified expats from over 70 countries.

The UAE has started issuing the permanent residency documents to select people, it was announced on Tuesday.

General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), said that the department has already started issuing permanent residency to the targeted persons, following the directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai that aim at supporting and attracting exceptional talents.

Al Marri added that the new system of permanent residency -- 'Golden Card -- is a step that strengthens UAE's position on the international economy map.

He said that UAE was always a step ahead in announcing decisions that strengthen the country's economy, emphasizing that issuing permanent residencies for investors and individuals with exceptional talents in fields of medicine, engineering, science and arts comes as appreciation for the role they play in improving the country.

The new permanent residency initiative has identified the first 6,800 qualified expats from over 70 countries to benefit from the Golden Card scheme's unprecedented benefits.