UAE amends laws to grant citizenship to expatriates with special skills

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Saturday that the country’s laws had been amended to grant citizenship to investors and expatriates for the first time.

UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai, said on Twitter the new measures were aimed at attracting skilled professionals and their families to help in the development of the emirates.

“We adopted law amendments that allow granting the UAE citizenship to investors, specialised talents & professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. The new directives aim to attract talents that contribute to our development journey,” he said.

The UAE cabinet, local emiri or rulers’ courts and executive councils of the seven emirates will nominate those eligible for citizenship under clear criteria set for each category. The law will allow those provided UAE passports to “keep their existing citizenship”, he added.

The changes to the law on nationality and passports, in effect, will allow expatriates to become dual citizens. The UAE has become one of the few countries in West Asia to grant citizenship to expatriates, who form a large chunk of the population in the region.

The UAE alone is home to 3.42 million Indians, one of the largest concentrations of expatriates in West Asia. Experts also believe the recent normalisation of ties between Israel and the UAE could open up new opportunities for trilateral cooperation with India, which has close relations with both countries.

The categories that can qualify to acquire UAE nationality include investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists, talents, intellectuals, artists and their families (spouse and children), according to an official statement.

Citizenship will be granted through nominations from the courts of rulers and crown princes, executive councils of the seven emirates, and the cabinet, based on nominations by federal entities.

The UAE cabinet introduced the changes in line with an order from President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan with the aim of attracting and retaining individuals with specialised skills.

The amendments laid down conditions to be met by each category. For instance, investors must own a property in the UAE.

Doctors and specialists must be specialised in a unique scientific discipline or scientific principles that are highly required in the UAE, and have acknowledged scientific contributions, studies and research of scientific value and practical experience of not less than 10 years, in addition to membership of a reputable organisation in the field of specialisation.

Scientists must be active researchers at a university, research centre or in the private sector, with practical experience of not less than 10 years. They should have contributions in their field, such as winning a prestigious award, or securing substantial funding for research in the past decade. It is also mandatory to obtain a recommendation letter from recognised scientific institutions in the UAE.

Inventors are required to obtain one or more patents approved by the UAE’s ministry of economy or any reputable international body, in addition to a recommendation letter from the ministry.

Individuals with creative talents, such as intellectuals and artists, should be pioneers in culture and arts and winners of one or more international awards. A recommendation letter from related government entities is mandatory.

After qualifying and before acquiring citizenship, the expatriates must swear an oath of allegiance, commit to abide by local laws and informing authorities in case they acquire or lose any other citizenship.

UAE citizenship offers a range of benefits, including the right to establish or own commercial entities and properties, and other benefits granted by federal authorities.