UAE launches ‘green,’ freelance visas

closeup on UAE customs border control admission stamp. Shutterstock.
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Updated 05 September 2021
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UAE launches ‘green,’ freelance visas

  • The UAE has announced two new visa categories - green visa and freelance visa
  • Top students, investors, businessmen, and those with specialized skills are eligible to get the green visa

DUBAI: The UAE has announced two new visa categories - green visa and freelance visa - as the Gulf country aims to attract global talent for its ambitious economic transformation plans.

Top students, investors, businessmen, and those with specialized skills are eligible to get the green visa, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi announced at a press event in Dubai.

Holders of the green visa will be able to sponsor their parents, as well as their sons until the age of 25. Upon expiration of the visa, they will be given a 90 to 180 days grace period, significantly more than the traditional visas given by the UAE.

Owners of independent businesses, or self-employed individuals can apply for the freelance visa, the minister said.

The announcements were made at a press conference at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai, just days after the government said it was planning 50 projects to mark the UAE’s 50th year.

More press events will be held in the coming weeks to announce further packages included in the 50-projects initiative.


The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

Updated 18 January 2026
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The Family Office to host global investment summit in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Family Office, one of the Gulf’s leading wealth management firms, will host its exclusive investment summit, “Investing Is a Sea,” from Jan. 29 to 31 on Shura Island along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

The event comes as part of the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 initiative, reflecting efforts to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for investment dialogue and strategic economic development.

The summit is designed to offer participants an immersive environment for exploring global investment trends and assessing emerging opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Discussions will cover key themes including shifts in the global economy, the role of private markets in portfolio management, long-term investment strategies, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies on investment decision-making and risk management, according to a press release issued on Sunday.

Abdulmohsin Al-Omran, founder and CEO of The Family Office, will deliver the opening remarks, with keynote addresses from Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

The press release said the event reflects the firm’s commitment to institutional discipline, selective investment strategies, and long-term planning that anticipates economic cycles.

The summit will bring together prominent international and regional figures, including former UK Treasury Commercial Secretary Lord Jim O’Neill, Mohamed El-Erian, chairman of Gramercy Fund Management, Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, chairman of the editorial board at Al Arabiya, Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Dr. Amer Bisat, economist Nouriel Roubini of NYU Stern School of Business, Naim Yazbeck, president of Microsoft Middle East and Africa, John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Global, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE, co-founder of Stemettes, SRMG CEO Jomana R. Alrashed and other leaders in finance, technology, and investment.

With offices in Bahrain, Dubai, Riyadh, and Kuwait, and through its Zurich-based sister company Petiole Asset Management AG with a presence in New York and Hong Kong, The Family Office has established a reputation for combining institutional rigor with innovative, long-term investment strategies.

The “Investing Is a Sea” summit underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a global center for financial dialogue and strategic investment, reinforcing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objective of fostering economic diversification and sustainable development.