Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship Introduces the Golden Visa Platform

During the fourth Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2019, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) introduced the Golden Visa Platform to familiarize participants with the Golden Visa scheme and the unprecedented benefits it grants to exceptional talents and individuals who positively contribute to the success story of the UAE.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE government hosts the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, on 3-4 November in Dubai, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum in Davos (WEF). The Annual Meeting brings together more than 700 futurists, scientists and experts from 70 countries around the world, to promote innovative thinking and address the regional and global challenges related to cross-cutting topics, including the global financial system, geopolitics, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), cities and urbanization, cybersecurity, and many others.

The Golden Visa platform acquaints participants with the new residency system, which grants long-term residency visas to select categories of residents, including investors, entrepreneurs, specialized talents, researchers, and outstanding students. The initiative aims to attract greater foreign investments, stimulate the local economy, and enhance the UAE’s competitiveness globally.

H.E. Ali Mohammed Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, stressed the need to boost partnerships, cooperation, and the exchange of expertise and visions with the Global Future Councils, which bring together world-leading experts and innovators to generate innovative ideas and solutions. He added that the UAE takes pride in hosting this prestigious gathering of global minds, which reflects the UAE’s position as a global hub for tolerance, coexistence, and human communication.

H.E. added that hosting the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils in the UAE promotes the country’s pivotal role in driving scientific development, which informs the decision-making process in several keys areas including cybersecurity, computing, governance, health, science, and innovation.

The first batch of the Golden Visa beneficiaries includes 6,800 individuals from over 70 countries to benefit from the “permanent residency” with total investments above Dh100 billion. This boosts the ease of doing business in the UAE and creates an attractive investment environment, confirming the UAE’s position as a global destination for exceptional talents and skills.

H.E. Ali Al Shamsi highlighted that the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship is one of the first government entities to adopt smart customer services, leveraging its participation in the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils. He concluded by commending the efforts of the ICA employees across its offices in the UAE, stressing the ICA’s keenness to embrace the most advanced and sustainable systems to promote customer happiness and satisfaction.