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is going to be limited to 6-9 year.

The Ministry of Interior, as part of changes to residency laws expected by year-end, may put a cap on the unbroken length for which a resident may stay in the United Arab Emirates.

A senior ministry official said on Wednesday that the ministry is considering a number of proposals in this regard. Therefore, it is early to say what the permissible period of unbroken stay might be. Further, the cap might not be the same for every class of professional.

The acting Director-General of Naturalization and Residency, Brigadier Nasser Al Menhali, said the cap would take into account the expatriates’ profession: for instance, the highly skilled and in-demand professionals might be granted a longer stay.

“A ceiling of years will be worked out. Reaching that ceiling, the foreigner will not have his residency renewed. He should cancel it and leave the country,” Al Menhali said. “The ministry is studying a number of proposals and has not yet set the residency visa term.”

Al Menhali added, “He can (however) return to the country on a new visa without calculating the years of his former stay into the new one.”

A residency cap for expatriate workers was first proposed among Gulf Cooperation Council countries in 2007. It was suggested that unskilled workers be restricted to a stay of six years to curb a population imbalance.

While the council decided against the cap, the UAE has pressed ahead with a committee formed to investigate whether a residency cap could solve the issue of national demographics.

‘’The MoI is considering several proposals in a bid to arrive at the final amendments to the immigration law which fit the higher interest of the state,’’ Al Menhali told Khaleej Times.

The Federal National Council’s Committee of Interior and Defence Affairs, which includes Ministry of Interior officials, has developed a number of proposals, including one that says the residency period workers be made renewable every six years.

Ahmed Shabibb Al Dhaheri, Deputy Speaker of the FNC, in a Khaleej Times report of May 2008, said the recommendations would require the expatriate to leave the country after the period and return again with a new contract and residency visa.

In recent days, ministry officials have told Khaleej Times that another proposal sets the cap at 10 years.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArti ... heuae&col=

I wonder how much the new contract and residency visas would cost?

What about companies who invest in personnel training, they certainly won't be impressed, unless this an underarm way of ensuring locals are provide with employment in the private sector.

Really the interior ministry is rather confident that expats will continue to scramble to the UAE under such stringent laws....

Misery Called Life wrote:I wonder how much the new contract and residency visas would cost?

What about companies who invest in personnel training, they certainly won't be impressed, unless this an underarm way of ensuring locals are provide with employment in the private sector.

Really the interior ministry is rather confident that expats will continue to want to work in the UAE under such stringent laws....

All expats will become contractors then. That will surely raise your pay, but doesn't improve your job security.

Contractors however have to make sure they arrange their own social security and arrangements for themselves. But working for a foreign companies will get you probably a exception for this visa. All major companies get exceptions if they bring in expertise or money.

They should have come with this solution long time ago. In a country where the nationals are some 15% of the population, they should have a 4 years max limit on expats. And before you start to think that’s stupid, just picture our own countries being full of expats (foreigners) and us being the 15% nationals.

bezor wrote:They should have come with this solution long time ago. In a country where the nationals are some 15% of the population, they should have a 4 years max limit on expats. And before you start to think that’s stupid, just picture our own countries being full of expats (foreigners) and us being the 15% nationals.

Trust me, this law doesn't hold ground.

The emirati people will eventually make friends with expats when around for 5 - 10 years and suddenly they lose these neighbours because the law says so. This will not increase the need for understanding between the cultures that mingle. It will rather keep a divide.

If that is the desired influence of this law...than I don't know if I wanna work in a country where I'm being looked down upon as expat.

I rather go the Philipines or something. More globalised I guess

You get my point.

I get your point but unfortunately it’s not valid in any country. Maybe it’s not so much as being look down at. It’s more being looked at as different. As a glob traveler, the only country I was NOT looked at as different was in US, and that’s because you melt in there. Now hands on heart, where else are you not looked at as different? And thereby not one of them? You think I could live and work in France for 20 years, not speaking French and be one of them? Or in UK? Or Philippines?

They will tolerate you more in Philippines (friendly people), but you are not one of them. And as soon as you start to get comfortable and ask for privileges they don’t have, they go sour. That happens everywhere. It’s just some people show it right away and other bite their tongue.

You get these points?

You are right. Its about integration. If expats would learn the language and feel comfortable with speaking Arabic (while the government doesn't promote that in my opinion) then things would be more acceptable for Emirati's. More integrated.

In the US people tend to blend in and assimilate. In Europe you have to integrate to be accepted. Thats way more difficult. From that perspective, its obvious that emirati people don't 'feel at home' with so many different nationalities.

If the UAE government would change policies and stimulate people to assimilate like in New York (very open society and several different languages) but also remove those residency laws we now hear of, that would support the expats to learn the language and pursue a real effort of obtaining emirati friendship and family bonding.

Although islam and christianity are originally founded in the Middle East, the two combined are in no way easy to mingle...I guess. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Well I think this is pretty unfair actually. What about people whp have made the UAE their home, have invested here etc etc. It will discourage people from making long term investments.

Red Chief wrote:is going to be limited to 6-9 year.

The Ministry of Interior, as part of changes to residency laws expected by year-end, may put a cap on the unbroken length for which a resident may stay in the United Arab Emirates.

A senior ministry official said on Wednesday that the ministry is considering a number of proposals in this regard. Therefore, it is early to say what the permissible period of unbroken stay might be. Further, the cap might not be the same for every class of professional.

The acting Director-General of Naturalization and Residency, Brigadier Nasser Al Menhali, said the cap would take into account the expatriates’ profession: for instance, the highly skilled and in-demand professionals might be granted a longer stay.

“A ceiling of years will be worked out. Reaching that ceiling, the foreigner will not have his residency renewed. He should cancel it and leave the country,” Al Menhali said. “The ministry is studying a number of proposals and has not yet set the residency visa term.”

Al Menhali added, “He can (however) return to the country on a new visa without calculating the years of his former stay into the new one.”

A residency cap for expatriate workers was first proposed among Gulf Cooperation Council countries in 2007. It was suggested that unskilled workers be restricted to a stay of six years to curb a population imbalance.

While the council decided against the cap, the UAE has pressed ahead with a committee formed to investigate whether a residency cap could solve the issue of national demographics.

‘’The MoI is considering several proposals in a bid to arrive at the final amendments to the immigration law which fit the higher interest of the state,’’ Al Menhali told Khaleej Times.

The Federal National Council’s Committee of Interior and Defence Affairs, which includes Ministry of Interior officials, has developed a number of proposals, including one that says the residency period workers be made renewable every six years.

Ahmed Shabibb Al Dhaheri, Deputy Speaker of the FNC, in a Khaleej Times report of May 2008, said the recommendations would require the expatriate to leave the country after the period and return again with a new contract and residency visa.

In recent days, ministry officials have told Khaleej Times that another proposal sets the cap at 10 years.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArti ... heuae&col=

This has been talked about many times before, however it simply does not make any sense, imagine you are in business and you recruit personnel and train them over a number of years then you have to get rid of them due this rule. I personally believe that this will never be put into practice.

As far as I understand they want to enter the regulation post factum.

Imagine that a man has been staying for last nearly 6 years, has stable salary, a car, a few loans... then in time of renewing visa he suddenly learnt that he unwanted despite the company is very interested in him/her...

I don't quite understand the reason. As a rule an experience of a potentional employee in the UAE means even more than his/her common knowledge for employer.

It's also good for the UAE itself. For a few years staying a man has been adopted to local customs, laws and specific regulations and so makes less problems for GOV and society... It counts as more stable person than newbie in many countries...

If there is a problem with language it will be better to pass some exams after 6 years of staying...

Red Chief wrote:As far as I understand they want to enter the regulation post factum.

Imagine that a man has been staying for last nearly 6 years, has stable salary, a car, a few loans... then in time of renewing visa he suddenly learnt that he unwanted despite the company is very interested in him/her...

I don't quite understand the reason. As a rule an experience of a potentional employee in the UAE means even more than his/her common knowledge for employer.

It's also good for the UAE itself. For a few years staying a man has been adopted to local customs, laws and specific regulations and so makes less problems for GOV and society... It counts as more stable person than newbie in many countries...

If there is a problem with language it will be better to pass some exams after 6 years of staying...

I think you will find that the problem may revolve round the UN Charter where it states somewhere that a person is entitled to aquire citizenship of a country where he resides for more than 10 years.

Well if they do bring in this ridiculous thing, it would totally screw up so many people I know, who would be forced to elave within the next year or so.

RobbyG wrote:You are right. Its about integration. If expats would learn the language and feel comfortable with speaking Arabic (while the government doesn't promote that in my opinion) then things would be more acceptable for Emirati's. More integrated.

In the US people tend to blend in and assimilate. In Europe you have to integrate to be accepted. Thats way more difficult. From that perspective, its obvious that emirati people don't 'feel at home' with so many different nationalities.

If the UAE government would change policies and stimulate people to assimilate like in New York (very open society and several different languages) but also remove those residency laws we now hear of, that would support the expats to learn the language and pursue a real effort of obtaining emirati friendship and family bonding.

Although islam and christianity are originally founded in the Middle East, the two combined are in no way easy to mingle...I guess. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct all the way. Integration and assimilation are two different things. In EU they want you to integrate almost 100%. That’s impossible cause you have to be a borderline personality to do that, to change to that degree. When traveling to other countries and culture there is no need to blend in 100%. The basic idea is to respect even if you don’t approve and you should have the right to argue about your stand without being told to leave if you don’t like it, which by the way is very common here in EU.

UAE is different in the way of their demographics. They are in a clear minority and I guess some of them feel threatened and want it all to go back, which is if not right but a natural reaction.

Lately when I travel to Dubai it looks more like India then an Arab country. It’s nothing like EU countries with 5 or 10% foreigners (which most EU citizens think is way too much and want to restrict it).

But you are right. If people are supposed to stay for long time and build Dubai and feel like home, this law will not help. They need to figure out something else.

Chocoholic wrote:Well if they do bring in this ridiculous thing, it would totally screw up so many people I know, who would be forced to elave within the next year or so.

But what would happen to someone like me for instance, been in the UAE for the past 17 years?

sage & onion wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Well if they do bring in this ridiculous thing, it would totally screw up so many people I know, who would be forced to elave within the next year or so.

But what would happen to someone like me for instance, been in the UAE for the past 17 years?

You will receive an Emirati passport:




p.s I was reaaaally bored after 10 hours of working with photoshop. I dont even know what I am doing in this forum

Doesn't matter Spoon. Just correct the sexe please; Onion is female (She-male is ok too)

Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

spoonman wrote:

sage & onion wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Well if they do bring in this ridiculous thing, it would totally screw up so many people I know, who would be forced to elave within the next year or so.

But what would happen to someone like me for instance, been in the UAE for the past 17 years?

You will receive an Emirati passport:




p.s I was reaaaally bored after 10 hours of working with photoshop. I dont even know what I am doing in this forum

That is way too funny. But did you get the "S.E.X" right?

kanelli wrote:Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

UAE and CANADA are totaly different countries..i feel so sorry for u every time i read ur post, and i will reply as shik MO did , if you dont like the country and the laws and the requlations, why bother and come here..
why , why , god damit WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

UAE and CANADA are totaly different countries..i feel so sorry for u every time i read ur post, and i will reply as shik MO did , if you dont like the country and the laws and the requlations, why bother and come here..
why , why , god damit WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

If the expats didn't come there would be no reality to the vision that Shk Mo had for Dubai. Expats were not going to do it for "free". For many the money is good and the lifestyle is good. Majority of expats don't plan to say on forever, not seek the passport.

As for the laws, if they are too restrictive then one should reconsider moving to Dubai or staying on for any length of time. If your lifestyle where you are is transferrable and one can live within the laws of Dubai I don't understand the problem.

There are many nationalities that migrate to Canada, the US, UK and cannot adjust to the lifestyles and for some, the laws, which may interfere with cultural or religious beliefs, so they leave.

Go to Canada, US, UK live by the laws. No different when you go to Dubai, live by the laws. It doesn't mean you have to agree with them, just live by them and if it is too difficult, then move on.

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

UAE and CANADA are totaly different countries..i feel so sorry for u every time i read ur post, and i will reply as shik MO did , if you dont like the country and the laws and the requlations, why bother and come here..
why , why , god damit WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

Kanelli left didn't she Naruto?

She left after she used you

seems very crazy for this kind of caps...

companies hire workers (skilled/unskilled) train them and they become an asset until their contracts expires, companies reabsorb them or renew their contracts/visa for they are already a working asset for company and roi is being brought by them. Then walah! when this residency caps comes out, these so called workers(skilled/unskilled) become's an asset to a company, then government throws them out of the country, company loses asset and roi, hire another then after sometime throws them again. then company got tired of hiring and training workers (skilled/unskilled),Then companies hire people here and train them, people here ask to much of salary, people here sits all day long beeping celphones, companies lost assest and roi, companies closes branches or offices in dubai, expats leaves because there is no stability or job security in dubai, then dubai losses at the end...THEN Johan Hari, Saul and Gerhan Hankins predictions will be sitting on their balcony in london, laughing and saying yep our predictions are right...TADAH!

Haha nice one Portland, I think you pretty much nailed it there.

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

UAE and CANADA are totaly different countries..i feel so sorry for u every time i read ur post, and i will reply as shik MO did , if you dont like the country and the laws and the requlations, why bother and come here..
why , why , god damit WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

Of course they are two different countries, how observant. Any comments on the actual topic - which is why the UAE wants to set time limits for expats yet still want to have skilled people around to keep improving the country? What do you say about people like Sage who has been here almost two decades? Should he be sent packing? Should companies even bother investing in their employees, and should anyone even bother buying real estate if they will get booted after 6 yrs?

RobbyG wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

UAE and CANADA are totaly different countries..i feel so sorry for u every time i read ur post, and i will reply as shik MO did , if you dont like the country and the laws and the requlations, why bother and come here..
why , why , god damit WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

Kanelli left didn't she Naruto?

She left after she used you

Yep, that we did!

Bora Bora wrote:

spoonman wrote:

sage & onion wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Well if they do bring in this ridiculous thing, it would totally screw up so many people I know, who would be forced to elave within the next year or so.

But what would happen to someone like me for instance, been in the UAE for the past 17 years?

You will receive an Emirati passport:




p.s I was reaaaally bored after 10 hours of working with photoshop. I dont even know what I am doing in this forum

That is way too funny. But did you get the "S.E.X" right?

This way funny, I wonder if this is Concord in disguise?

portland wrote:seems very crazy for this kind of caps...

companies hire workers (skilled/unskilled) train them and they become an asset until their contracts expires, companies reabsorb them or renew their contracts/visa for they are already a working asset for company and roi is being brought by them. Then walah! when this residency caps comes out, these so called workers(skilled/unskilled) become's an asset to a company, then government throws them out of the country, company loses asset and roi, hire another then after sometime throws them again. then company got tired of hiring and training workers (skilled/unskilled),Then companies hire people here and train them, people here ask to much of salary, people here sits all day long beeping celphones, companies lost assest and roi, companies closes branches or offices in dubai, expats leaves because there is no stability or job security in dubai, then dubai losses at the end...THEN Johan Hari, Saul and Gerhan Hankins predictions will be sitting on their balcony in london, laughing and saying yep our predictions are right...TADAH!

when you get rid of the idea that local ppl can't work , then we can listen to u..

No one says local people can't work. But the simple fact is that there aren't enough of you to fill the hundreds of thousands of positions that there are, plus it's also a fact that there are some jobs you simply won't get EMiratis to do.

kanelli wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

UAE and CANADA are totaly different countries..i feel so sorry for u every time i read ur post, and i will reply as shik MO did , if you dont like the country and the laws and the requlations, why bother and come here..
why , why , god damit WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

Of course they are two different countries, how observant. Any comments on the actual topic - which is why the UAE wants to set time limits for expats yet still want to have skilled people around to keep improving the country? What do you say about people like Sage who has been here almost two decades? Should he be sent packing? Should companies even bother investing in their employees, and should anyone even bother buying real estate if they will get booted after 6 yrs?

plez dont bring forign country to a subject related to dubai or UAE then, as for my comment i advice you to read the topic agian, the new law is still under implementation, and still not valid but u with ur tiny mind cant tolerate us local controling ur fat @ss, with these laws, as for saga , the law says pple with usefull experiences and qualifications can get visa Renewal also this apply on ppl with privet busniess.

so relax and take it easy

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:Because this is what they want to do to the expats - "Use 'em and lose 'em". This is what I was saying in another thread - why bother staying so long in the UAE when you can never be a part of the country? Some Emiratis are resentful of the expats who come for a couple of years to make as much money as they can and then leave... well, sounds like that is what the govt wants anyway, and deep down Emiratis want that too so their country looks and feels Arab/Islamic and not like India, China or Europe etc.

In Canada everyone comes from somewhere else, besides the Aboriginal peoples. People can immigrate and attain citizenship and participate fully in society. This works for Canada because it isn't preoccupied with maintaining a homogenous culture/religion.

UAE and CANADA are totaly different countries..i feel so sorry for u every time i read ur post, and i will reply as shik MO did , if you dont like the country and the laws and the requlations, why bother and come here..
why , why , god damit WHYYYYYYYYYYYY

Of course they are two different countries, how observant. Any comments on the actual topic - which is why the UAE wants to set time limits for expats yet still want to have skilled people around to keep improving the country? What do you say about people like Sage who has been here almost two decades? Should he be sent packing? Should companies even bother investing in their employees, and should anyone even bother buying real estate if they will get booted after 6 yrs?

plez dont bring forign country to a subject related to dubai or UAE then, as for my comment i advice you to read the topic agian, the new law is still under implementation, and still not valid but u with ur tiny mind cant tolerate us local controling ur fat @ss, with these laws, as for saga , the law says pple with usefull experiences and qualifications can get visa Renewal also this apply on ppl with privet busniess.

so relax and take it easy

k, I c u don wan discus sbject @ al, jus wan 2 make u-sles comenz. fine wid me