Immigration policies across the Arab peninsula have historically
been linked to individuals' sponsorship status. However, the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom Saudi Arabia (KSA) are
taking innovative steps to change the residency framework by paving
the way for long term non-sponsorship led residency to become a
viable option for certain groups of individuals. This article takes
a closer look at each new residency scheme and their potential
impact.
Why?
In a world where countries are currently competing with one
another to attract the best and the brightest in respective fields,
the residency schemes detailed below aim to further entice
particular categories of foreign nationals to enter the local
market, and contribute towards the development of these
countries. The move also seeks to diversify the UAE and the
KSA economies, which traditionally have been oil and gas focused,
by attracting further, long term, foreign investment.
