On Sunday, the Cabinet had come up with a remarkable decision to provide 10-year residency visas to for investors, A-performing students, and specialists in the field of science. Medical Professionals all across the UAE have hailed this decision to be one of the best decisions that the government has ever made. In fact, it has now attracted more people to come and live in the UAE. This long-term visa duration for foreign expats who reside in the UAE as residents in designated professions will help benefit them and their families tremendously.

Doctors other qualified professionals have also told that they can now plan for their futures as well. This is indeed a blessing and now they feel even more attached to the nation. This form of long-term stability will pave the way for the enrollment of further qualifications that are deemed highly professional. The decision taken by the cabinet can now benefit the medical research field and the research and development areas within the nation as they will all have enough time to do the ground-breaking research, prepare the thesis, make the relevant reports in the long term that are beneficial for man-kind and the UAE as a nation.

What is also important to appreciate is that the specialists and doctors that are of higher ranking need not go for the customary routine medical health check-up every two years that is mandatory. It can be done now thankfully once in ten years.

Dr. Hesham Souka, a general surgeon and medical director at Medcare Hospital located in Sharjah has been quoted saying, “Such a decision definitely increases our loyalty towards the UAE. It indicates the leadership’s appreciation for the talent that has chosen to call the UAE its home, and definitely enables us to feel less like outsiders.” Others who have been residing in the UAE for a very long time have said that this new rule has made them feel even warmer and feel even more welcome to the UAE as a nation. Many have also mentioned that they feel all the more committed to their goals.

Dr Sajjad who is the head of department and director of IVF at Burjeel Hospital is a British national with Pakistani origins and has also only good things to say about this decision stating, “I used to head up one of the largest fertility centres in the United Kingdom, and I moved here about two years ago to explore newer horizons. Then I found that I especially liked interacting with Emirati patients. With the added stability afforded by this decision, I plan to stay on and serve them for much more time to come.” The UAE always aims to see that their citizens and their residents are always happy. This has lead them to make better changes for the better of the nation and for all those who reside and work in the Emirates.