Foreign home buyers to get residency in Oman.

The beach at Barr al Jissah, one of the areas foreigners will be permitted to purchase properties.
Text source: Reuters 2 Nov 09
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Foreign home owners in Oman will be issued residency visas on completion. Oman will issue residency visas to foreign home owners after the completion of the properties and not on registration, a government official said on Monday.
Mohammed al-Sinani, the Tourism Ministry's director general of planning and follow-up, told Reuters that foreign property buyers would get a residence visa after the title deed has been changed to their names.
His comment camed after property buyers said that developers had promised they would receive residence visas while the homes are under construction.
"Home buyers get a multiple 3-week visiting visa each time they come when their property is under construction. Then they can apply to get two-year residency after the completion," Sinani said.
Buyers are also entitled to get residency for their family and parents. The residency will be cancelled and is transferable to the new owner when the property is sold, Sinani added.
Foreigners can only buy in areas called integrated tourism complex (ITC) - the Wave, Salalah Beach Resort, Barr Al-Jissah, Yiti Resort, Muscat Hills, Blue City and Jebel Sifah.

Expats seeking visas will be tested on UAE cultural knowledge

From the Khaleej Times 7 July 09
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Expatriates applying for residency visa in future will be tested in their knowledge of local culture. The resolve follows the Federal National Council calling for immigrants to have better awareness of UAE values and traditions.
Ahmed Shabeeb Al Dhahiri, First Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council, told Khaleej Times a committee would be established by October to develop strategies to improve understanding of the country among expatriates.
The Council asked the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development to take steps to familiarise residents and immigrants with the country’s national identity, culture, social values, religion and local traditions.
“Too many people don’t know anything about our culture — there are many nationalities — and every resident needs to know something about this country,” Al Dhahiri said.
The committee will comprise members from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Al Dhahiri said the committee will draw up a series of easy questions that will comprise a test that expatriates must pass in order to get their residency visa.
He said questions could include the following: “What is the country’s official religion?” and “What is the country’s flag?’
The committee will also establish a guide to the country’s traditions that will be issued to local embassies and consulates and also to their domestic counterparts.
Al Dhahiri said foreign community associations can also educate their members on the customs, traditions and culture of the UAE, enabling them to better deal with UAE citizens.
The support of the media would also be sought to raise cultural awareness levels among expatriates.

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.

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)