International students at universities in the UAE will be able to sponsor their families and bring them over for the duration of their courses.
On Sunday, the UAE Cabinet approved the move, which will likely encourage more students to travel to the Emirates for undergraduate and postgraduate study.
"We approved changes in the residency and nationality procedures in the country by enabling foreign students to bring their families whenever they have the financial means," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Vice President, said the country had become a "regional education destination" with more than 77 universities attracting tens of thousands of students each year.
The decision was one among many made during the Cabinet's first meeting of the year, in Abu Dhabi.
Work continues and the process of national recovery will not stop
Led by Sheikh Mohammed, the ministers approved a federal government public debt strategy to build a bond market in the local currency.
At present, individual emirates, such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, are issuers of international debt. The UAE has no debt of its own but is planning to begin selling federal bonds soon.
On Sunday, Sheikh Mohammed said the goal behind the new strategy was to "revitalise the financial and banking sector in the country".
The Cabinet also agreed to adopt a circular economy policy to achieve "clean production, sustainable transportation and consumption, and efficient waste management" while still preserving the country's environment and generating new economic opportunities. They formed a federal Circular Economy Council to see these plans through.
A new media strategy for the country was also approved to maintain the global interest generated in the UAE last year.
Sheikh Mohammed said 2020 was a "pivotal" year for the Emirates drawing international attention. He said maintaining this would require a "different way of thinking and new interaction."
He said the UAE ranked 18th worldwide in indicators of its soft power and 11th globally in influence. "[The UAE] is classified among the most active countries in the international arena," he said.
"Our goal is to communicate more with people and convey our story to the world in new formats."
Finally, the Cabinet approved the formation of the Emirates Tourism Council with the aim of boosting tourism, co-ordinating federal marketing efforts and supporting local tourism projects.
Sheikh Mohammed said the "World's Coolest Winter" campaign, launched last month, "highlighted the beauty of working as a single national tourism team".
The 45-day nationwide domestic tourism campaign invited residents and Emiratis to explore the hidden gems of the seven emirates.
He said the aim of the new tourism council would be to encourage young people to benefit from tourism sector opportunities across the country.
After a busy first meeting of the year, Sheikh Mohammed said they were just getting started.
"Work continues and the process of national recovery will not stop," he said, of the UAE's plans of an economic bounce-back since the Covid-19 outbreak.
"Preserving health will remain the priority above everything and our society will end this year with greater power and more beautiful energy towards the future, God willing."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Liz%20Truss
%3Cp%3EMinisterial%20experience%3A%20Current%20Foreign%20Secretary.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DWhat%20did%20she%20do%20before%20politics%3F%20Worked%20as%20an%20economist%20for%20Shell%20and%20Cable%20and%20Wireless%20and%20was%20then%20a%20deputy%20director%20for%20right-of-centre%20think%20tank%20Reform.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DWhat%20does%20she%20say%20on%20tax%3F%20She%20has%20pledged%20to%20%22start%20cutting%20taxes%20from%20day%20one%22%2C%20reversing%20April's%20rise%20in%20National%20Insurance%20and%20promising%20to%20keep%20%22corporation%20tax%20competitive%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
