Visa consultants and officials at various service centers said that property owners, high-income professionals and entrepreneurs interested in living in the UAE for the long term are regularly asking for information about the Golden Visa.
According to them, despite regional tensions, many residents and investors are showing interest in the UAE’s long-term housing benefits. The Golden Visa program is especially popular with professionals and investors.
Industry representatives say that many applicants are already moving forward with plans to secure a long-term stay in the country. According to them, this trend reflects people’s confidence in the UAE’s economic stability and future prospects.
Since February 28, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on several Gulf countries, including the UAE, in response to US and Israeli attacks. In some areas, casualties and damage to infrastructure have been reported. However, despite some images of panic in the international media, UAE business and industry experts say that in reality the situation is relatively stable and economic activities are continuing normally.
Interest in property-based Golden Visa
Thani B. Mubarak, managing director of a service center at DAFZA, said that there is currently significant interest in the property-based Golden Visa category.
According to him, many property owners are applying for this long-term residency program. This indicates that they do not plan to sell their property in the near future.
He said, “The Golden Visa is directly linked to the property. If someone sells the property, the visa has to be cancelled first. So, most of those who are applying through property are planning to stay here for a long time.”
Mubarak added that many residents who have already received Golden Visas are now also applying for their family members.
He said, “People’s interest in the Golden Visa is clear. Many are applying for themselves as well as for their family members, especially those with large families.”
According to him, many are starting the application process now, rather than waiting for the situation to calm down.
He added that many wealthy expatriates are also confident about staying in the UAE.
“I have many non-Emirati friends who are high net worth individuals. Some of them have assets ranging from $100 million to billions of dollars. They have done business here and most of them have decided to stay here,” he said.
Continued inquiries for Golden Visa
Firoz Khan, managing director of Arabian Business Center, said that his organization is receiving regular inquiries about Golden Visa applications. Interest is particularly high in the property and salary-based categories.
“Even in the current situation, we are receiving a lot of inquiries for Golden Visa in the property and salary categories,” he said.
According to him, a client who had planned to apply earlier has contacted him to expedite his application in the recent situation.
“This shows how strong the people’s trust is in the UAE and its leadership. Many are interested in living and investing here,” said Firoz Khan. He added that residents earning more than AED 30,000 per month are also looking at the Golden Visa program, which is one of the eligibility criteria for the visa.
“We are now receiving a lot of inquiries about the speedy processing of applications. Applicants are quite confident about staying in the country for the long term,” he said.
He said that the highest number of inquiries are currently coming from business owners, property investors and high-income professionals.
According to analysts, this confidence of residents and investors is in line with the views of many business leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. Many of them have expressed confidence in the stability and economic strength of the UAE despite regional tensions, saying that the country has repeatedly shown its ability to bounce back even in times of global uncertainty.
