UAE visas: Foreign university students now able to sponsor families


  • English
  • Arabic

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."

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (87')

Athletic Bilbao 1
Williams (14')

Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL

Al Nasr 2

(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)

Shabab Al Ahli 1

(Jaber 13)

Scoreline

Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'

Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'