HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Photo: Instagram/@hhshkmohd
In an expression of appreciation for their efforts in battling the pandemic, medical professionals in Dubai have been granted 10-year visas. As per the instructions of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the golden residency visas will be given to 212 Dubai Health Authority (DHA) professionals.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, May 13, in which Sheikh Mohammed thanked the doctors and medical staff for their “selfless dedication to caring for infected patients”. The 212 healthcare professionals work across various specializations and have been chosen for their work, and for being the key forces in the fight against Covid-19 in Dubai and UAE.
As a gesture of appreciation to the frontline teams @HHShkMohd grants the 10-year golden residency visa to doctors at @DHA_Dubai, who attend directly to COVID-19 patients, securing the well-being of our society.
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 13, 2020
Thanking Sheikh Mohammed on behalf of all the doctors, director-general of DHA Humaid Al Qutami said, “This gesture will further boost their morale and encourage them in their efforts to provide the highest quality of medical care for patients infected by the virus.”
Adding: “Everyone has shown a tremendous amount of flexibility by working for long hours, and even days without interruption, to curb the spread of the virus and heal those who are sick, without fear of contracting the virus themselves.”
The golden visa is UAE’s long-term residency program announced last year which aims to boost the investment environment of the country and encourage business development. Last May, the visa had been granted to 6,800 investors and residents from 70 countries, Sheikh Mohammed had said.
In another announcement, late fines for UAE visit and residency visas have been waived, for a period of three months starting May 18. This grace period is applicable to those whose visas expired before March 1, and are unable to renew it or return to their home country since. “We urge all expats to register at the Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) portal to avail of the grace period that shall start on May 18 up to three months,” said Brigadier Khamis Al Kaabi, an FAIC spokesman, on Wednesday. “All breaches related to expired Emirates IDs and labor cards will also be canceled,” he added.
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