The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday that it has decided to pave the way for the naturalization of certain categories of foreigners so that they contribute to “the development and prosperity of the country”, a rare measure in the Gulf.
“We have passed an amendment to the law to grant UAE citizenship to investors, talented people including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, writers and their families,” said Prime Minister of the federation of seven emirates and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed ben Rached Al-Maktoum, in a series of tweets.
This amendment allows naturalized people to keep their original citizenship, he said.
The initiative is intended to ensure the contribution of naturalized citizens to the “development and prosperity of the country,” the UAE government said in a tweet.
This is a rare opportunity in the Gulf region where access to the nationality of Arab monarchies remains extremely limited.
The Emiratis are a very small minority in their country. Foreigners make up around 90% of the approximately 10 million inhabitants of the United Arab Emirates.
According to Sheikh Mohammed, the choice of persons eligible for Emirati citizenship will be entrusted to the services of the federal government, the cabinets of the rulers of the seven emirates that make up the federation and the local executive councils.
Citizenship will be granted according to “well-defined criteria” for each professional category, he added.
In order to attract investors and skills, the United Arab Emirates have increased incentives in recent years, including the granting of long-term residence permits (up to 10 years) for specialists and individuals. who have great know-how.
Long prosperous, the economy of the United Arab Emirates, the second largest in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia, is suffering the consequences of the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 epidemic and the decline in the price of oil.
With its diverse economy, Dubai is affected by the downturn in the service, tourism and air transport sectors.