Golden visa holders in Dubai are now eligible for a special privilege card issued by police in the emirate.
The Esaad card gives members a host of offers and discounts on a range of services, including school fees and medical procedures.
The green and gold discount card can be used at 7,237 brands and businesses in the UAE and in 92 countries worldwide.
Golden visa holders will now enjoy attractive and exclusive benefits through their Esaad cards, including a host of discounts on a wide range of services, products, attractions and experiences
Saeed Almarri,
Department of Economy and Tourism
The card is free to anyone who has been issued a five or 10-year golden visa in Dubai.
“The stability and incentives will encourage holders of the golden visa to continue contributing to Dubai’s wider economy,” said Abdulla Al Basti, secretary general of The Executive Council of Dubai.
“They will also help the city attract fresh and exceptional talent from across the world.”
First approved in 2020, golden visas are awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to the UAE, have highly-prized abilities or work in industries regarded as vital to the economic growth of the country.
“In addition to benefiting from Dubai’s advanced infrastructure, state-of-the-art services and a unique modern lifestyle, golden visa holders will now enjoy attractive and exclusive benefits through their Esaad cards, including a host of discounts on a wide range of services, products, attractions and experiences,” said Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.
Golden visas are designed to enable foreigners to live, work and study in the UAE without the need for a national sponsor and with 100 per cent ownership of their business on the UAE mainland.
Anyone who purchases a property worth Dh2 million or more is automatically eligible for a golden visa.
If a person is awarded a golden visa, their spouse and children can also apply.
Those applying for a golden visa should register their interest on the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) website. People applying in Dubai can use the emirate's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs website.
Dubai Media Office announced on Monday that the Esaad card would also be given to citizens in receipt of social benefits, military and civilian retirees from the government and private sectors jobs, as well as disabled and senior citizens in the emirate.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
