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The majority of people seeking a reprieve in the first days of the UAE's visa amnesty had arrived in the country on tourist permits in the hope of securing jobs, a senior Dubai official said.
Speaking to The National, Maj Gen Salah Al Qamzi, assistant director general for violators and foreigners affairs at General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), said most had failed to follow proper recruitment processes and end up going from one company to another looking for jobs.
The two-month government initiative, which began on Sunday and runs until the end of October, allows those with expired residency and visit visas an opportunity to settle their status or leave their country without incurring fines.
“Most people coming to amnesty centres had come [to the UAE] on visit visas to find a job and overstayed after their visa expired,” said Maj Gen Al Qamzi.
They don't have a CV or know how to apply online. They just go knocking on doors
Maj Gen Salah Al Qamzi,
immigration official
“Many of them don't know how to look for a job. They don't have a CV or know how to apply online. They just go knocking on doors.”
The UAE’s immigration laws states that those entering on a visit visa must be in the country for tourism purposes only, and not to look for employment.
It was in 2022 that the UAE introduced a special visa for jobseekers. The 60-day, multi-entry jobseeker’s visa is to help young talent and skilled professionals find employment in the country. It requires a sponsor or a host, and a different set of documents.
Maj Gen Al Qamzi said that some overstayers quit working for their sponsors, and continued to find alternate jobs without legalising their status.
“We noticed that many amnesty seekers had run away from their sponsors for various reasons and had not changed their status. They were working illegally, and have now decided to get their paperwork in order.”
Second chance
George Alex, 30, arrived in the UAE from Nigeria in 2019 on a visit visa but stayed on after finding a job as a mechanic in a car garage in Sharjah.
However, he lost his job after the pandemic but decided to stay on hoping to find another job.
His visa expired in 2020 and the overstay fines started adding up, leaving Mr Alex worried. The last four years have been tough for him. He was unable to take on new employment because he did not have the money to clear the fines.
“I was living in constant fear because I didn't know what would happen if I got caught,” Mr Alex told The National.
With fines amounting to more than Dh50,000, he is thankful that the amnesty is giving him a second chance. “I don’t want to go back home. I will check with the garage owner if they are willing to sponsor me again so I can change my status.”
Prossy Tebasulwa moved to Abu Dhabi from Uganda in 2017 on an employment visa, but things went awry when her recruiter did not renew her visa in July 2023.
The 41-year-old has been staying “illegally” for a year and was unable to find another job.
Talking to The National, she said she's ready to go home to her “three sons”.
“They are always asking me when I’m coming back home, and yesterday I finally told them that I will return as soon as I get my exit pass,” Ms Tebasulwa said.
At Dubai's Al Awir Centre, Ms Tebasulwa faced a minor setback when immigration officials were unable to process her exit pass because her visa was issued in Abu Dhabi. But, she used her time there to meet recruitment agents stationed at the centre.
“I went to the recruitment booth set up by the Transguard group, and submitted my interest for a job in the field of security,” she said.
“I'm so happy that the UAE amnesty is waiving our fines and giving us a second chance at finding a job.”
More companies are setting up bases at Al Awir Centre to offer jobs to amnesty seekers. “The number of recruitment companies positioned at Al Awir centre has now increased to 16,” said Maj Gen Al Qamzi.
Abdullah Lashkari, director of labour affairs at GDRFA, said that amnesty seekers who secure jobs must legalise their stay as soon as they can.
“Companies have been told that once the recruitment is done, the status of the workers must be changed within days and not months,” said Mr Lashkari.
The visa status can be completed at any of the 86 Amer Centres in Dubai or Al Awir.
“They need to come with their passports and other necessary documents to waive their fines and change status,” he added.
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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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.
Mobile phone packages comparison
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
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%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
