Emirati citizenship entitles young people to scholarships and government jobs set aside for UAE nationals. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National
Emirati citizenship entitles young people to scholarships and government jobs set aside for UAE nationals. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National
Emirati citizenship entitles young people to scholarships and government jobs set aside for UAE nationals. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National
Emirati citizenship entitles young people to scholarships and government jobs set aside for UAE nationals. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National

Government

Dubai authorities shut down company over Emirati citizenship con

The unnamed business misled rich investors when it claimed it could help them acquire passports if they paid a $10,000 processing fee

The National

March 15, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

A company in Dubai was closed for falsely claiming it could help wealthy people become Emirati citizens.

It charged $10,000 as a "processing fee" and claimed that to be eligible, applicants' net worth must be Dh100 million ($27.2m) or more.

Dubai Economy’s consumer protection agency said the company “was found to have received citizenship applications without being authorised to do so, and reviewed personal details and proof of wealth submitted by the applicants”.

In January, the UAE said it would offer citizenship to professionals in certain fields, including medicine, science and the arts, and their families.

But the process is based on nomination by the UAE Cabinet, Rulers’ Courts or executive councils of the seven emirates – there remains no “path to citizenship”.

“The service offered was not only unauthorised, but also in contravention of the recent amendment as to the UAE Citizenship Law, which did not specify any fee or process for obtaining naturalisation,” Dubai Economy said on Monday.

The government department, which regulates trading standards, said “stern action will be taken against any office or commercial establishment that transgresses its authority and reminded UAE residents, investors and the public to be aware of such fraudulent practices”.

Suspected immigration fraud can be reported by using the Dubai Consumer App available on Apple, Google and Huawei stores, by calling 600 54 5555 or via Consumerrights.ae.

The 2021 change is the latest in a widening programme by the UAE to attract talent to the country.

In May 2019, the UAE Cabinet approved 10-year residency visas for five categories of expatriates: investors, entrepreneurs, chief executives, scientists and outstanding students.

The golden card scheme also allowed medical doctors, many scientists, data experts, people with backgrounds in computer and electrical engineering, and those with AI and programming expertise to qualify for the long-term visa.

Radio host and snack entrepreneur Kris Fade and fragrance tycoon Mohammed Rahman are two notable businessmen who have received a golden visa, along with Firoz Merchant, the founder of Pure Gold Jewellers.

On Saturday, Dubai's government unveiled an urban plan to expand the city and boost its population from about 3 million to 5.8 million by 2040.

10 future-proof jobs in the UAE with high salaries

  • 'The National' looks at 10 high-paying careers in the UAE that will remain in-demand for many years. Artificial intelligence engineers can earn an average salary of Dh32,000. AI is being used widely across the Emirates, including for traffic control systems, government departments, air traffic control, healthcare and education sectors. The UAE also has an AI strategy and also recently launched the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, which will help produce AI engineers. AFP
    'The National' looks at 10 high-paying careers in the UAE that will remain in-demand for many years. Artificial intelligence engineers can earn an average salary of Dh32,000. AI is being used widely across the Emirates, including for traffic control systems, government departments, air traffic control, healthcare and education sectors. The UAE also has an AI strategy and also recently launched the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, which will help produce AI engineers. AFP
  • Experienced data scientists can earn a median salary of Dh32,000. The UAE Golden Visa, a 10-year residency visa for skilled professionals, is available to these professionals. They also fall into the category of Emirati citizenship, but they would have to be nominated by a Royal Court. Bloomberg
    Experienced data scientists can earn a median salary of Dh32,000. The UAE Golden Visa, a 10-year residency visa for skilled professionals, is available to these professionals. They also fall into the category of Emirati citizenship, but they would have to be nominated by a Royal Court. Bloomberg
  • The average salary of management consultants is Dh35,000. These professionals apply the data available to improve business performance. With entrepreneurship encouraged heavily in the UAE, management consultants will be in high-demand. Getty Images
    The average salary of management consultants is Dh35,000. These professionals apply the data available to improve business performance. With entrepreneurship encouraged heavily in the UAE, management consultants will be in high-demand. Getty Images
  • Investment bankers can earn Dh45,000. With the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting the global market, companies and individuals are increasingly looking at hiring these services to learn how and where to invest their money. Getty Images
    Investment bankers can earn Dh45,000. With the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting the global market, companies and individuals are increasingly looking at hiring these services to learn how and where to invest their money. Getty Images
  • A principal scientist earns an average salary of Dh38,000. Scientists also qualify for the UAE’s Golden Visa scheme and really qualified ones can be nominated by the Royal Court for Emirati citizenship. These scientists could be working in different areas, including healthcare, space research or part of a space mission, or other research areas. Getty Images
    A principal scientist earns an average salary of Dh38,000. Scientists also qualify for the UAE’s Golden Visa scheme and really qualified ones can be nominated by the Royal Court for Emirati citizenship. These scientists could be working in different areas, including healthcare, space research or part of a space mission, or other research areas. Getty Images
  • Doctors earn an average salary of Dh33,000. Medical professionals are always going to be in-demand, but the Covid-19 pandemic has reminded governments how important it is to have an effective healthcare system. With the UAE having a focus on building its healthcare sector further, more vacancies will open up. Getty Images
    Doctors earn an average salary of Dh33,000. Medical professionals are always going to be in-demand, but the Covid-19 pandemic has reminded governments how important it is to have an effective healthcare system. With the UAE having a focus on building its healthcare sector further, more vacancies will open up. Getty Images
  • The median salary of an experienced cybersecurity engineer is Dh30,000. Cyber-attacks are growing each year and companies are looking for qualified engineers who can protect their online information. Bloomberg
    The median salary of an experienced cybersecurity engineer is Dh30,000. Cyber-attacks are growing each year and companies are looking for qualified engineers who can protect their online information. Bloomberg
  • An experienced finance officer can earn between Dh33,000 to Dh35,000. The profession requires overseeing the spending of individuals or companies and advising them accordingly. Getty Images
    An experienced finance officer can earn between Dh33,000 to Dh35,000. The profession requires overseeing the spending of individuals or companies and advising them accordingly. Getty Images
  • Software engineers can earn Dh35,000, but those at a senior level can earn more than Dh50,000. These professionals develop computer software for machines. Bloomberg
    Software engineers can earn Dh35,000, but those at a senior level can earn more than Dh50,000. These professionals develop computer software for machines. Bloomberg
  • Senior human resource officers earn an average salary of Dh30,000. They hire and look after employees. It was believed earlier that AI would replace their jobs, but it has been assisting with their roles, rather than causing unemployment. Getty images
    Senior human resource officers earn an average salary of Dh30,000. They hire and look after employees. It was believed earlier that AI would replace their jobs, but it has been assisting with their roles, rather than causing unemployment. Getty images
War and the virus
match info

Southampton 0

Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')

Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)

Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

How to vote

Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi

Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday) 

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)

Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)

West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)

Sunday

Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)

Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)

Everton v Liverpool (10pm)

Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

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UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

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Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Who are the Soroptimists?

The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.

The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.

Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.

Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

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Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

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CREW
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Pakistan v New Zealand Test series

Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza

New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner

Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)

Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 

Managing the separation process

  • Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
  • Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
  • Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
  • If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
  • The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
  • Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
  • Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.  
Profile

Name: Carzaty

Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar

Launched: 2017

Employees: 22

Based: Dubai and Muscat

Sector: Automobile retail

Funding to date: $5.5 million

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

What is the definition of an SME?

SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors. 

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

NYBL PROFILE

Company name: Nybl 

Date started: November 2018

Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence

Initial investment: $500,000

Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)

Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up 

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency
Stamp%20duty%20timeline
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDecember%202014%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%20Former%20UK%20chancellor%20of%20the%20Exchequer%20George%20Osborne%20reforms%20stamp%20duty%20land%20tax%20(SDLT)%2C%20replacing%20the%20slab%20system%20with%20a%20blended%20rate%20scheme%2C%20with%20the%20top%20rate%20increasing%20to%2012%20per%20cent%20from%2010%20per%20cent%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EUp%20to%20%C2%A3125%2C000%20%E2%80%93%200%25%3B%20%C2%A3125%2C000%20to%20%C2%A3250%2C000%20%E2%80%93%202%25%3B%20%C2%A3250%2C000%20to%20%C2%A3925%2C000%20%E2%80%93%205%25%3B%20%C2%A3925%2C000%20to%20%C2%A31.5m%3A%2010%25%3B%20More%20than%20%C2%A31.5m%20%E2%80%93%2012%25%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApril%202016%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20New%203%25%20surcharge%20applied%20to%20any%20buy-to-let%20properties%20or%20additional%20homes%20purchased.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%202020%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chancellor%20Rishi%20Sunak%20unveils%20SDLT%20holiday%2C%20with%20no%20tax%20to%20pay%20on%20the%20first%20%C2%A3500%2C000%2C%20with%20buyers%20saving%20up%20to%20%C2%A315%2C000.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mr%20Sunak%20extends%20the%20SDLT%20holiday%20at%20his%20March%203%20budget%20until%20the%20end%20of%20June.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApril%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%25%20SDLT%20surcharge%20added%20to%20property%20transactions%20made%20by%20overseas%20buyers.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJune%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SDLT%20holiday%20on%20transactions%20up%20to%20%C2%A3500%2C000%20expires%20on%20June%2030.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%202021%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tax%20break%20on%20transactions%20between%20%C2%A3125%2C000%20to%20%C2%A3250%2C000%20starts%20on%20July%201%20and%20runs%20until%20September%2030.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.6-litre turbo

Transmission: six-speed automatic

Power: 165hp

Torque: 240Nm

Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)

On sale: Now

Other promotions
  • Deliveroo will team up with Pineapple Express to offer customers near JLT a special treat: free banana caramel dessert with all orders on January 26
  • Jones the Grocer will have their limited edition Australia Day menu available until the end of the month (January 31)
  • Australian Vet in Abu Dhabi (with locations in Khalifa City A and Reem Island) will have a 15 per cent off all store items (excluding medications) 
Main report
Sustainable Development Goals

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality  within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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