Changes to visa rules for Saudi Arabia

Anyone who’s ever applied for a Saudi visa will know that the rules change on a fairly regular basis.  It seems that at present Saudi visas are only being issued for 30 days validity.  As a result, its a fairly regular process to prepare all the documents just like you did last time, take them into the typist to be translated and typed up for the KSA authorities, only to find that the rules have changed and now you need a different type of application form, or a pre-registration email from MOFA in Riyadh, or a letter of authority from someone else or the company stamp on a document, all/any of which you didn’t need last month..  This week, we have discovered that no Saudi visa will be issued without a signed copy of a form below which is now required for all applications processed in Dubai (could be the entire UAE but the typist’s English was a bit limited) and it is required for all nationalities.  ----------------I hereby undertake to give my fingerprints and my eye iris pattern images and comply with the laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I, the undersigned, hereby agree to have my fingerprint & iris data (biometrics) captured as part of the application procedure for an entry visa to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I further agree and declare as follows:
1. If granted the visa I shall abide by all the laws and regulations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and respect the Islamic customs and traditions of its people.
2. I am aware that all alcoholic beverages, narcotics and other illegal drugs, pornographic materials or publications, which violate the social norms of decency and all other publications, which are disrespectful of any religious belief or political orientation, are prohibited and shall not be brought into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
3. I am also fully aware that the crime of smuggling narcotics and other illegal drugs into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is punishable by the death penalty.
4. I have never been removed, excluded or deported from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or from any other Gulf Cooperation Council member state or charged with violation of any law or regulation thereof.
5. I agree to depart the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on or before the expiration date of my visa. I am well aware that any violation of the laws and regulations of the Kingdom or any engagement in prohibited activities such as the activities mentioned herein or in the entry visa documentation are subject to the penalties, which are described in the "Dealing with Persons on Entry Visas" statute as enacted by Royal Decree No. 42, dated 10/18/1404AH.
6. I acknowledge and reaffirm my declaration that this application and the evidence submitted with it are all true and correct. I also understand that if I submit any false information or if my name was found to be listed as banned from entering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia my application will be denied or my visa, if already granted, revoked. Moreover, I may be turned back from any Saudi port of entry at my own expense while I shall have no right to demand compensation.


Name:
Signature:
Date:

New Zealand eases visa rules for UAE citizens

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that UAE citizens can now travel to New Zealand for tourism or work for three months without the need to obtain prior visas.
The ministry said visas will be given to citizens on arrival in New Zealand. This also applies to UAE diplomats and holders of official passports.

UAE issues visas to stranded passengers

Source: Gulf News
photo: Juice Images===================
People stranded at UAE airports due to the volcanic ash will be issued the 96 hours visa at the airport, in an effort to ease their travelling procedures.
Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has instructed concerned authorities to facilitate the visa process for people affected by the crisis.
Affected people can approach the passport control officer upon their arrival at the airport and can be issued visa according to the 96 hours visa rules.
Shaikh Saif’s humanitarian initiative comes in line with the UAE’s keenness to help affected people, ease their visa procedures and alleviate their ordeal.
Tim Clark, President of Emirates said: "About 30 of our aircraft are grounded which represents about a fifth of our fleet".
Emirates is losing about $10 million (about Dh37 million) in revenue a day, plus another $1 million (about Dh3.7 million) a day that it is paying to accommodate Emirates passengers, Clark said in a statement.
Flights from the UAE to Europe will resume only after airports are reopened. No schedule has yet been given.
Germany's Lufthansa and Air Berlin said that decisions to close airspace were not based on proper testing and that their aircraft showed no signs of damage after test flights without passengers.
"The flight ban, made just on the basis of computer calculations, is resulting in billion-high losses for the economy," Lufthansa spokesman Klaus Walter was quoted as saying.
By some estimates, between 35-40 per cent of the world's goods move by air.
Scientists have said the Icelandic eruptions could continue on and off for months, potentially meaning more delays and closures.
The International Air Transport Association has warned that the travel mayhem was costing airlines more than $200 million (about Dh735 million) a day.

Qatar delays plan to scrap visas on arrival

Source: ArabianBusiness.com
==================
Qatar's plans to scrap its visa-on-arrival facility for nationals of 33 countries has been delayed.
The old system will remain in place despite the Gulf state announcing new rules earlier this month which were set to be introduced on May 1.
Under the regulations, the nationals of 33 countries, including the US, UK and expat residents of the GCC, would have to apply for a visa prior to arrival in Qatar.But media in Qatar reported on Monday that the move had been delayed after Qatar’s Foreign Ministry received requests from some countries to continue with the old system and allow their nationals time before the new entry visa rules are enforced.
According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), a source at the Consular Affairs Section of the Foreign Ministry said that the requests of these countries were being studied.
“It has, therefore, been decided that the existing visa-on-arrival scheme at the Doha International Airport for the citizens of the 33 countries will remain unchanged,” QNA quoted a senior Foreign Ministry official as saying.
The regulations would have meant that all passengers wishing to travel to Qatar for business purposes will need to have their visas arranged by a local sponsor, via the Ministry of Interior.
The news of the delay will come as relief to Qatar's hotel industry.
Some of the top hoteliers in Doha had earlier told Arabian Business that they were worried about the impact of the visa changes of tourism.

Qatar bans visas on arrival for UK, US nationals (includes all 33 countries)

Source: ArabianBusiness.com, 8 April 2010
Photo: Flat Earth Photos
==================================
British and American citizens will be among the nationals of 33 countries that will have to apply for a visa prior to arrival in Qatar, according to new rules being enacted by the emirate from May 1.
The regulations also mean that all passengers wishing to travel to Qatar for business purposes will need to have their visas arranged by a local sponsor, via the Ministry of Interior.
British nationals wishing to apply for a Qatari visa will need to provide their last three months’ bank statements, which must show the name and address of the applicant, and prove that there is at least $1,300 in the applicant’s account.
A single-entry tourist visa for all nationalities will cost $30.
The British embassy in Doha confirmed to Arabian Business on Thursday that the new rules were coming into effect, but said it was still waiting for further information from the Qatari Ministry of the Interior.Other than the US and the UK, nationals from France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, the Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Lichtenstein, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea are also affected by the new ruling.

Longer visas needed to boost Dubai homes market

Source: ArabianBusiness, 1 April 2010
Photo: I took it during a seaplane flight from Jebel Ali.
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 Longer visas are needed to boost Dubai's real estate market, say experts. The length of visas offered to foreign buyers of Dubai property is too short and is hampering the recovery of the county’s beaten-down real estate market, experts have said.
The six-month visas currently issued to expatriate homeowners are deterring foreign investors, who will favour housing markets with more relaxed residency rules.
“Shortness of residency is definitely keeping the buyers away,” said Nicholas Maclean, managing director of CB Richard Ellis Middle East.
“We do need to elongate the window that people have so they don’t need to go back and forth. The period we have at the moment is a barrier to entry.”
Property prices in Dubai have plunged 50 percent since their peak in 2008 in the wake of a global downturn, wiping an estimated $100bn off the value of the emirate’s developed property assets.
According to Colliers International, one in four homes now stand empty. The emirate will be oversupplied by 32,000 new homes by the end of the year, predicts Deutsche Bank.
At the height of the property boom, buyers were promised visas by developers - including state-backed Nakheel and Dubai Properties – a move that was later overruled by the UAE federal government.
Last June, the Department of Naturalisation and Residency said foreign buyers could avail of a six-month visa, dependent on factors such as the price of the property and the applicant’s monthly salary.
Critics of the plan say the residency period is too short to entice new buyers to the UAE market, and excludes a significant number of lower-income expats.
“The one thing that would give a real boost to the property market would be if the federal government would allow three-year visas. It would transform the market,” said Charles Neil, CEO of Landmark Properties, at a recent roundtable. “This is the one thing that is keeping investors away at the moment.”
“Dubai is trying to fill up a growing city. How can they fill up the city if they can’t give residency?” said Tomas Ghassemi, managing partner of The Property Store.
Aside from providing a shot in the arm to the housing market, an overhaul of the visa laws would allow Dubai to filter its long-term residents more selectively, said Maclean.
“By tweaking the visa regulations the government can control who buys here. And that might be a good thing, so they can keep people here who could be a long-term benefit to – rather than beneficiary of – the economy here. We should be encouraging people who want to come, bring their families, educate their children, spend into the retail markets and have a house,” he said.

Visa rules change in the UAE....again

This article is from the 'Gulf News' dated 17 Jan '10 stating that visitors will be refused re-entry to the UAE if they take even a short trip outside the country (to Oman for example).  The article makes no mention of the 33 countries whose citizens are automatically issued with a 30 days visa on entry into the UAE with one renewal.  Has that changed now?
Or are these 'new' visa rules the same as were published in the 'Gulf News' on 10 July 2008 and 11 Nov 2009?
===========================
Visas for visit, transit and tourism are valid only for a single entry into the UAE, said a senior official at the Ministry of Interior, adding that visitors cannot return using the same permit even after a trip to a neighbouring country.
Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of the Dubai General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, told Gulf News: "A visitor needs to get a new entry permit to re-enter the country once he or she leaves the country for any destination. The new entry permit will be issued only after one month from the date the visitor leaves the UAE."
Major General Al Merri was responding to a question about visitors who face difficulties in returning to the UAE after a short sightseeing trip to Oman or after leaving in a hurry for a meeting in Bahrain.
They cannot re-enter the UAE immediately since a new visa will be issued only after a gap of at least one month.
Application
The rule applies even if the visitors leave the country before the expiry of their entry permits, he said. "They have to wait for one month before applying for another entry permit."
Major General Al Merri said this happens to some people who arrive on tourist or visit visas to see family or friends or visit the country as tourists.
"They stay here for few days and then decide to go to Oman, Bahrain or any nearby country. These people believe they can return to the UAE using the same entry permit as they stayed here only for a few days.
"They think the entry permit is still valid since they did not use it till the expiry date," he said.
Major General Al Merri said the department, however, could take into consideration any exceptional circumstances pertaining to a particular visitor. But such a decision is taken on case-by-case basis.
"We want to make it easy and enjoyable for people who want to visit our country. But they should adhere to the rules," he said.
Multiple entry
Multiple entry visas are an option for businessmen who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company here.
This visa is valid for six months from the date of issue and costs Dh1,000. However, each visit must not exceed 30 days.
Visit, tourist and transit visas are only for single entry.

New job in Dubai ends in jail time

This story seems to back up something I heard recently about a New Zealander, here in the UAE on a week's holiday.  He went to visit a friend at their Dubai office.  The friend had to leave the office briefly and told the Kiwi to sit at the friend's desk and surf the internet to fill in time while he waited.  During the friend's absence, the immigration guys arrived for a spot check, something which happens in Dubai fairly regularly.  They saw the Kiwi "working", checked his passport which showed a tourist visa and arrested him for working illegally.  No explanations were accepted and the Kiwi ended up in jail for several weeks until his release could be arranged.
Source: 7 Days 17 Nov 09
==================================
Two British real estate agents have been jailed for working without visas just days after starting new jobs in Dubai.
Nick Awalski and David Wynn have now been in Al Aweer jail for three weeks after they were found working on tourist visas.
Awalski had been at his new company just two days when he was nabbed in a visa raid.
A close friend said she was shocked by the arrests and said she hoped it wasn’t the start of a clampdown on foreigners.
“I don’t understand it. Everyone works on a tourist visa while their papers are being sorted out.
Nick and David never intended to break the law,” she said.
Both were arrested in the reception area of the company after labour officials posed as clients wanting to buy an apartment.
Awalski’s heartbroken mother has flown in from the UK to visit him in jail.
“His family aren’t taking it well, they are heartbroken and very worried about his future,” the friend said.
Awalski had previously worked for a major Dubai property company, while Wynn had just arrived from the UK for the new job.
“They had left it to the company to sort out their paperwork, like everyone does,” the friend said.
Wynn, 27, from Reading and Awalski, 30, from London, are due to appeal their conviction and deportation at a hearing scheduled for November 24.
Their lawyer, Abdullah Al Nassar, confirmed that the two men had only just begun working when they were jailed and said it should never have happened.
“It’s just really bad luck,” he said, adding there was no set time limit for companies to obtain work visas and that many employees go for weeks or months without the correct work visas.
An official from the Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs confirmed that there is no set time limit for companies to obtain work visas but said that they should file early to avoid legal problems.
He said he could not comment on individual cases.

Possible changes to the homeowner visas

From ArabianBusiness.com
When it comes to Dubai's property market, there's more than "a hole in the bucket" that can be plugged, no, the entire bottom of the bucket seems to have dropped out. Property sales have dropped and rents are also dropping. We've looked at villas that were rented for AED300,000 in December last year but landlords are now asking AED170,000 - AED190,000.
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There may be further changes to the visas offered to expatriate home owners in the UAE, according to Dubai’s finance chief in remarks made at the World Economic Forum in Jordan on Sunday.

Nasser Al Sheikh, the director general of Dubai’s Department of Finance, admitted to delegates that visa laws were an issue for the federal government.

But Dubai was discussing further changes, following a sharp downturn in the emirate’s real estate market, he said.

“We have certain ideas about visa laws that have been passed on to the federal government,” Al Sheikh told the conference.

A shake-up of the visa system for property owners in Dubai is already underway, under a new ruling made by Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE, earlier this month.

Starting on June 1, Dubai will issue six month, multiple entry visas for expat property owners.

Under the new visa regualtions the property should be worth at least AED1m and the owner must earn at least AED10,000 per month, or the foreign currency equivalent.

However, the visa does not give the property owner the right to work inside the country.

Home Sweet Home: Another twist

From Zawya.com, a quote from Brigadier Nasser Al Awadhi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Naturalisation and Residency Department, during the press conference for the official announcement of the new visa:

"The multiple-entry visas may be renewed, but the investor must remain out of the UAE for at least one month. The maximum permitted stay at once is six months," he said.

So, a person pays for a property in full and is then allowed to stay for six months but during that time they're not allowed to work in the UAE. When the six months are up, the property owner has to go leave the UAE and live in another country for a month after which time they are permitted to return to the UAE for another 6 month period.....repeat ad nauseam. Does their family also have to leave the UAE for a month? How does this visa work for non-Emiratis who own multiple properties? One visa for all the properties with the owner having to leave the country only once at the end of every six months? Or will there be a separate visa for each property with the visa date set from the time of full payment of any mortgage on each separate property? What happens if a property drops in value below the set limit? As usual, more questions than answers.

The home owner visa: Starting date and the cost.

As you'll see below, a further government statement has been made regarding the new visa for expat property owners in the UAE. Of course, there's no information on where a purchaser applies for the visa, what paperwork is required (except "get the certificate of title from the local authority") or a helpful link to a government website in English/Arabic/Hindi which gives all the necessary information.

The cost of the new visa has been announced - AED2,000 for each 6 month visa. Assuming that cost is per person, a family of mum, dad and two kids and the maid will have to pay AED10,000 every 6 months when they do the visa run out of the country. Hmm, there's a thought. Can a person who holds this new category of visa sponsor their maid/driver ?

If you want/need to work in the UAE while living in your debt free property, you'll have to obtain the usual sponsorship visa through your employer. As nobody can have two visas, if you work this new multiple entry visa is not for you.

I've read about the advantages of forming a company in RAK and then registering a property in the name of the company but most ordinary people don't have the resources (financial or where-with-all) to do that. Company formation also doesn't address the primary requirement of the new visa and that is that the property concerned must be debt free.

Sorry, maybe I'm a bit slow (it has been remarked on in the past) but I just don't understand how this new visa is going to encourage a recovery in the UAE property market. If anything, it may have the reverse effect.

---------------------------
UAE officials said on Monday that multiple-entry visas for expat property owners meeting the eligibility criteria, will be issued from June 1.

The news follows Saturday's announcement, which marked a departure from the previous visa regime where regulations, in the absence of federal measures, were different in each emirate.To be eligible for a multiple-entry visa, which runs for six months, the property owner must first obtain the title of the property from the registration authority in the relevant emirate.

In addition, the property should be worth at least 1 million dirhams and the owner must earn at least 10,000 dirhams or foreign currency equivalent a month. The visa does not give the property owner the right to work inside the country.

Owners of empty plots of land will not benefit from the new rules, even if they can produce documents to support their ownership.

The visa will cost 2000 dirhams to renew every six months. Each time it expires the visa holder will have to leave, either to his home country or any other GCC state, before returning again to stay for a similar period of time.

While many are agreed the new rules will ease the confusion resulting from previously differing rules operating in the various emirates, the jury is still out on the likely impact of the new measures on the depressed domestic property market.

One argument says the duration of the visa is insufficient to encourage many would-be purchasers to take the plunge. Others have said that existing homeowners could fall afoul of the new rules in the event of job loss where no alternative income source is available.

Home sweet home....for 6 months at a time.

From ArabianBusiness.com of 3 May '09.

1. From the article it seems a property purchaser can be issued with a visa, valid for only 6 months, if they have purchased, and fully paid for, a property in the UAE. The property must be worth more than 1,000,000 dirhams and the purchaser must also show evidence of income of more than AED10,000 per month.

2. The visa expires after 6 months. The visa holder must then leave the UAE and will only be allowed to return after meeting "the required conditions". The "required conditions" are, as expected, not specified, nor is there any mention of how long the renewed visa is for or if there will be a limit on the number of visa renewals that will be granted.

3. The visa does not give the holder the right to work in the UAE.

This seems to be the green light from the government to return to the days of visa runs down to Hatta and back.

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Foreigners buying a home in the UAE valued at more than 1 million dirhams will be eligible for a six-month renewable residency visa under a new federal law announced on Saturday. A statement issued by the Ministry of the Interior said the move underlines the government’s commitment to serving the interests of all people who view the country as 'an oasis of stability and peace'. ''By allowing individuals to bring in their wives and children, it is also showing its keeness to ensure family stability''' it added.

In view of the resolution, a new para will be added to article 33 of the executive regulations of the law for entry and residency of foreigners. It will read:''Owners of built-in properties can stay for six months from the date of entry into the country. On the expiry of this period, the owner pledges to depart for his homeland or any of the GCC countries. He will only be allowed to enter the country again after meeting the required conditions''.

To meet the qualification the owner should obtain title to the property from the property registration authority in the emirate. The unit, be it a house or an apartment, should be wholly owned by the person concerned. Owners of vacant land are not included. The structure must also be suitable for living and appropriate to the size of the family for an individual wishing to bring his family over.The owner must also show proof of a ''fixed income of not less than Dh 10,000'', equivalent in foreign currency whether inside or outside the country.

The visa does not give the owner of the property the right to work inside the country.

The 30 day visa, which has always meant 60 days, now means 40 days...sigh

When someone arrives in Dubai, if they hold a passport from one of the 34 ‘approved countries’, they will receive a visa stamp giving them the right to remain in Dubai for 30 days. The number and words "30 days" is clearly stamped. Oddly but up until the present time, the words “30 days” have meant that you could in fact stay in Dubai for 60 days and if you called the Immigration Dept or asked the officer issued the visa, they'd tell you so. In an earlier post you’ll have read how I did an unnecessary visa run as I thought 30 days meant, well, 30 days when in fact my visa was valid for 60 days.

Anyway, without warning and at an unspecified recent date, the visa stamp that shows “30 days” (which has always meant 60 days), now apparently means 40 days and people who are leaving the country, after having been told on arrival that they can stay for 60 days, are being fined for ‘overstaying’. Expats whose children have come to stay for the holidays have been shocked to find that their children are being fined or overstaying when they try to leave the country at the end of their holiday. Earlier this month a British child was fined 1800Dhr at the airport and was not allowed to board his flight until the money was paid. Fortunately the child’s father was at the airport and was able to pay the fine. When the father queried the sudden change in the rules, having been told when his son entered the country that the son’s visa was valid for 60 days, he was told that the rules can change every day and all travellers should be aware of that.

Other expats who’ve done a crossing at a land border within the last two days, have been told that the visa is not valid for 40 days but is only valid for 30 days.

Redundancies in Dubai

Things change so quickly in Dubai. Back in August everything was booming, in October the Nakheel Tower, touted as the world’s (latest) highest tower, was unveiled with great fanfare at Dubai Citiscape, but in what seemed like a nanosecond, by November redundancies were being announced in the construction and real estate sectors and the first shivers were felt in the expat community. Since then its been a horrible time, not a week has gone by without news of a friend or acquaintance being made redundant. Your right to reside in the UAE is linked to your employment; UAE residence visas are cancelled once a person’s employment is terminated, the person then having 30 days to leave the UAE. No job=no stay. Often wives and children are included on the husband’s visa so when his visa is cancelled so are theirs. Many companies have given redundant employees a grace period of two to three months to look for alternative work before their visa is cancelled. However, jobs are hard to find with companies across all sectors having frozen employment.
Faced with the realisation that there is little chance of future employment in Dubai, people are searching for work in the other emirates of the UAE or further afield in Qatar, Egypt and Saudi. However, some families are making the decision to leave Dubai and return home. For most this means that household furniture has to be either sold quickly or packed and shipped home. Word on the street is that the removal companies have a 5 week waiting list to give removal quotes, which isn’t much use if your visa expires in 30 days. (Of course you can keep doing visa runs though I guess). There’s also a 4 week delay in getting shipping containers out of the Dubai port. Kids are being pulled out of school, I’ve heard that at one of the large Indian schools with 10,000 students, 3,000 students have already applied for exit certificates.
The redundancies that have been publicised, and no doubt there are many, particularly amongst the labourers that haven’t been released:

Al Futtaim - unspecified number but all construction at DFC including the extension of the Festival City Mall has been put on hold.
Al Shafar General Contracting Company - 1,000
Atkins - 170 from Dubai (10% of their workforce)
Better Homes - 50
Carillion - 400 staff (nearly 20% of their workforce in Dubai)
Casa Dubai - all staff redundant, office closed and company in liquidation. Some investors have paid for what are still holes in the ground.
Damac - 200
Dubai International Capital - a 10th of its staff
Dulsco - 800 in two stages
Gulf First Bank - unspecified number
Gulf Leighton - at least 150
Hyder Consulting - 15
Istithmar World - 13 (doesn’t sound many but its 10% of their workforce)
Mace International - The company has announced that it has reduced its staffing levels as its clients shelve projects it was managing.
Mizin - 50
Nakheel - 500 redundant in November. Trump Tower on hold.
Omniyat - 69
Sama-ECH - 140 (Sama-ECH is the JV of local developer Sama Dubai and UK-based EC Harris)
Tameer - 180
WS Atkins - 170 plus 40 from their Manila office who were working on Dubai projects
WSP - 35
Woods Bagot - "dozens" of jobs had been lost.
Universal Studios - 50. The project was scheduled for completion in 2010, but is “now delayed to the first quarter of 2012 at the very earliest”.(Zawya)
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· "The Arab world has lost 2.5 trillion dollars in the past four months" as a result of the global financial crisis (Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Sabah)
· An average of 1,500 work permits and visas are being canceled in Dubai each day as companies lay off employees in the wake of the global financial crisis. (Arab News)
· 60 percent of development projects "have either been postponed or cancelled" by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states because of the global meltdown. (Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Sabah)
· The giant hotel facades on the sides of the highway at Dubailand have disappeared
· Last week, Dubai Police revealed that an alarming number of cars bought on finance were being dumped at airports.
· Carillion has no live building projects in Dubai, only infrastructure projects which are continuing.

If you think your Dubai property is going to get you a visa, think again.

By Andy van Smeerdijk, Consulting Editor "Gulf News"
Published: November 06, 2008, 19:22

The good old days
Until recently, many expatriates who purchased property in select areas of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain were able to obtain three-year residency permits.
In these cases, the property owners were sponsored by the UAE master development company they had bought from.
Visas with property in DubaiWhen freehold property first became available to expatriates in Dubai in 2006, the emirate's three master developers - Emaar, Nakheel and Dubai Properties - facilitated the issuing of three-year renewable residence visas to owners under a special arrangement with the Department of Residency.

Visit visa proposal
Bin Galita told Gulf News that a proposal has been submitted to issue property investors a visit visa that allows them to travel in and out of the country to follow up their investments in the property market.
"The suggestion, if approved, might be implemented at a federal level, especially now that the local laws of most emirates allow foreign ownership of property. The visit visa could replace the residence visa, which was issued by some developers in Dubai for those who bought property in their projects."
Change in DubaiThis all changed earlier this year when reports of developers not issuing visas began circulating. Marwan Bin Galita, chief executive of Dubai's Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) told Gulf News, "Investors must understand that owning property in Dubai is not a prerequisite for having a residence visa."
Property buyers should not expect to automatically be granted a residence visa when purchasing property in Dubai, Bin Galita explained.
"There is no direct link between property ownership and residence visas. Developers should not lure investors to the property sector with promises of a residence visa."
The lawFreehold ownership in selected areas of Dubai was first introduced in May 2002, sparking the real estate boom.
The law states, "If the homeowner has no alternative means of sponsorship for a residence visa, the first owner may be sponsored by your master developer (Nakheel, Dubai Properties or Emaar) for residency in Dubai, UAE, subject to the applicable immigration laws of the country."
However, the purchase of a freehold property does not automatically qualify for a resident visa, officials say.
Those already here
More than 20,000 families have moved into their freehold homes during the last six years, some on residence visas linked to their homes.
Restrictions
A person will not qualify for a visa of any type in the UAE if you are a citizen of Israel, have an Israeli entry stamp in your passport or if your passport is valid for only six months or less.
Change in AjmanUntil recently, Ajman also issued visas to freehold property owners. According to a report in Gulf News earlier this month, the Ajman Naturalisation and Residency Department has stopped issuing and renewing investors' visas for freehold property owners in Ajman.
Sharjah's stance
Sharjah allows expatriates to invest in land, villa or an apartment for a maximum 99 years, but has never issued residency visas to investors.
The numberAll expatriate purchasers of freehold property in the UAE are only entitled to own it for 99 years.
No work
Those who have purchased property in Dubai and qualified for a residence visa cannot work in the UAE on that visa. Furthermore, the visa is renewable every three years. If you bring your family to your residence in Dubai, then you will need to get a family residence visa.
Caution
Blair Hagkull, managing director for the Middle East at Jones Lang LaSalle, told Gulf News earlier this year that people should not rely on the master developer for their residency visas.
"Most people in Dubai are active in the workplace and so have a residency visa through their employer."
Elsewhere in the GCCQatar announced in 2005 that it was to offer permanent residence visas to foreigners who buy freehold properties in the country.
"The visa is issued for (an) unlimited period, not like some others who issue it for a limited period and the buyer has to continuously renew it," Akbar Al Baker, chairman of the Qatar Tourism Authority and chief executive of Qatar Airways, told Gulf News.
The Pearl, an offshore development, is the first development in Qatar that offers freehold property ownership rights to local and international buyers, irrespective of nationality or country of residence.
Rak still issues visas
Ras Al Khaimah was the second emirate in the UAE to permit foreign ownership of property in the UAE, passing a freehold ownership law in November 2005.
In Ras Al Khaimah, automatic freehold visas are still issued to all buyers of freehold property.

Visa u-turn in Dubai

An article from the Arabian Business website today:

Dubai risks scaring off investors with visa u-turn
From ArabianBusiness.com Tuesday, 24 June 2008

INVESTOR CONFIDENCE: ING said the announcement expat homeowners in Dubai are not automatically entitled to long-term residency could hit property sales. Foreigners could be less likely to buy properties in Dubai after the emirate's real estate regulator said expatriate homeowners are not automatically entitled to long-term residency rights, ING said on Tuesday.

"There is no direct link between owning a property in Dubai and obtaining a residency visa", Chief Executive of the emirate's Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Marwan bin Ghalita, was quoted by daily Gulf News as saying on Tuesday. (my emphasis)

The comments were contrary to prior statements from local developers such as Emaar Properties, the Arab world's largest real estate firm by market value, ING said, noting the remarks could trigger "negative sentiment" and impact Emaar's stock.
Dubai, the commercial hub of the Arab world, has witnessed a property boom since the government allowed foreigners to invest in properties in 2002. The emirate passed a real estate law in 2006 allowing foreign freehold ownership in some areas.

Expatriates from neighbouring countries facing political instability, such as Pakistan, Lebanon and Iran, have been lured to Dubai largely on the assumption that owning a property would entitle them to long-term visas, ING said.

"People from politically/economically unstable countries in the region bought residences in Dubai assuming they would automatically be granted residency, a huge asset to have if the situation in their home countries turned sour," ING said.

"Dubai was the only market in the region to offer such a link."

But bin Ghalita's comments on Tuesday raised questions about whether the promise of residency from developers, including state-owned Dubai Properties and Nakheel, has legal backing, ING said.

"Developers should not lure investors to the property sector with a promise of residence visa," bin Ghalita was quoted as saying.

The existence of "safety homes" in Dubai has been a key factor driving demand, and any decision by regulators to review the visa status of existing homeowners would create a "legal minefield" and could hit the emirate's image, ING said.

"Owners will feel they have been sold a worthless investment and what's more by developers that are all linked very closely to the state in Dubai," the bank said.

Shares of Emaar Properties slipped 0.45 percent on Tuesday while those of Union Properties fell 2.68 percent.

The regulator, meanwhile, has submitted a proposal to the government to grant foreigner homeowners visit visas, a rule that could also apply to existing homeowners if it is approved, bin Ghalita said.

Foreigners comprise more than 80 percent of the population in the United Arab Emirates, home to about 4.1 million people, the majority from the Indian subcontinent, Iran and other Arab countries. (Reuters)

Ramadan begins

It’s the first day of Ramadan today. We got an email on Thursday evening to say that the firm is allowing all staff, Muslim and non-Muslim, to work 9:30am to 3:30pm each work day during Ramadan with no reduction in pay. Realistically I won’t be leaving early if my boss is still working though but if I have a few early marks during the month when I can go to the beach that’ll be nice. Ramadan Kareem Nadia!

What a grand and glorious game yesterday, though as usual the Swans made the red and white faithful suffer in the process. As I was out of Dubai I’d taken my laptop hoping that there’d be a wireless network I could get into so I could listen to the Triple M webcast. No luck unfortunately so I was phoning my kids every half hour - if I could wait a whole 30 minutes - for score updates. In the evening we went to watch the replay at Aussie Legends, a bar in Rydges Hotel. Of course nobody will be surprised to hear that I have my Swans scarf, hat and tee shirt with me (you'd be surprised if I didn't). The Grand Final will be on live at Legends at 9:30am Dubai time on Saturday morning and then, depending on the result, I’ll spend the rest of the day being unbearably happy watching the replays, or unbearably depressed, despondent and possibly drinking gin.

I was at the Hatta Hotel while the game was on. Hatta is near the Omani border and Colin had taken me down there so I could do what’s known here as a visa run. Until I have Dubai residency I use 30 day or 60 day visitor visas which means that, like a huge number of other temporary residents in Dubai, I have to leave the country when the current visa is close to expiry and then re-enter to get a new visa. To do the visa run many people drive or fly to Oman, others fly to Qatar and Colin’s flatmates fly to a small island off the coast of Iran. My most recent visa says quite clearly in English “Valid for 30 days from date of issue” which meant we had to do the run this weekend as the 30 days expired on 25 Sept.

The Omani border is about 2 hours drive from Dubai. We drove down Friday morning and went through the procedure of exiting the UAE through their border post which looks like a handful of portacabins that have been thrown onto the side of the road. The UAE immigration man said to Colin that my visa is actually for 60 days. Yes, it was my passport but the immigration guy didn’t speak to me directly or even acknowledge me at any stage. This would have really pissed me off when I was younger, but now it doesn’t faze me at all, in fact I can see the funny side of it. Colin pointed out that the stamp says in English quite clearly “30 days”. The immigration guy laughed and said that some border offices hadn’t been issued with the “60 day” stamp so they just kept using the “30 day” stamp instead. Apparently the visa says “60 days” in Arabic which is good if you read Arabic, but I know this how?

Anyway we’d got this far so we carried on and drove through the no-mans land (no-person’s land surely) to the Omani border post which is completely different to the UAE post. The Omani border post looks like a palace, all cool marble, manicured lawns and landscaped gardens. Once inside, I had to stand in a queue to get the immigration form that needs to be completed. Why you have to queue to get a blank form is a total mystery to me. You fill in the form and then join another queue where you’re issued with the actual visa and your passport is stamped. Everyone in front of me in the ‘collect the form’ queue was having issues with the immigration man behind the counter. Yikes, my turn. I step up, hand him my passport and he gives me one of those looks that makes you think “Jeez, how does he know about that?”(insert darkest secret) and he says “Ah New Zeeleendee” and he doesn’t give me the form. Yikes again. Instead, he reaches over to the visa issuing guy’s desk, takes the guy's stamp, issues my visa and stamps my passport. No paperwork, nothing. Ooookaaay!!

The next step was to get the Omani exit stamp in my passport. As Colin has UAE residency he doesn't need to enter/exit Oman so he was waiting in the car park ready to post bail if I wasn’t back in an hour. I headed out the back door of the passport palace and round the corner. As there is no provision for people to exit Oman on foot, well not legally anyway, I had to stand in the queue of cars waiting to exit Oman and re-enter the UAE. Look at me, I’m a car! The immigration guy who rules the car queue stamps my passport and he also gives me a form in Arabic that says who-knows-what. I jump back into the car and we drive back up to the UAE border where they refuse to let us re-enter because the form the car queue guy gave me isn’t exit authority for two-people-and-a-car it’s just for one person (me). So we drive back to Oman, I jog into the passport palace past the people in the queues who look at me curiously, exit out the back door, and again I’m standing in the queue with the cars - I wish I had a photo. I then had to explain to the car queue man that while he may see one woman standing in front of him I am in fact two-people-and-a-car! Strange, but in this part of the world it all seems so logical. Unfortunately he starts making phone calls and giving me suspicious looks and I have to make the painful confession that at this point, for the first time in my life, I resorted to Every Girl’s Final Fall Back Position. I took off my sunglasses, batted my eyelashes and tossed the blonde hair while giggling and saying words to the effect of “Oh dear I don’t know what to do, you big handsome immigration man, I’m just a helpless little lady…….” Oh my God! It works! I can’t believe it – that routine is bloody magic, why have I never used it before? The end result is that he gives me a huge smile and the form that clearly states that I’m two-people-and-a-car. Let’s hear it for flexible feminist principles! I’m glad to say we got back through the UAE border without any problems, then had a lovely bbq lunch at the Hatta Fort hotel and a swim before returning to Dubai.

My residency application still hasn’t started because I’ve had to have my NZ UE certificate notarised in NZ and then authorised by both NZ Internal Affairs and External Affairs. The certificate is in the post to me now thanks to Raewyn. When it arrives here I take it to the NZ Embassy who then authorise the Internal and External Affairs signatures then it goes to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs for something else and then it finally comes to my employer to start the application process. There’s a charge for each signature of course. All this for a 30 year old certificate that shows that in 1971 amongst other things, I could draw a crash hot diagram of the Waipa River (UE Geography) and write a boring précis on the Unification of Yugoslavia a topic which is now of course totally redundant. Ah well, it’ll all work out in the end I guess, insha’allah.

Go Swannies!!