UAE awards Golden Visas as Eil al Fitr nears: Here are the recipients

DUBAI - The authorities in United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday to award Golden Visas to a number of imams, preachers and religious researchers on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr.

The Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has issued a decision in this regard on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

According to a statement from the emirate's media office, among those who were awarded the coveted Golden Visa are imams, muezzins, preachers, muftis, and religious researchers who have completed 20 years doing their job in Dubai, .

Besides Golden Visa, they will also receive a 'financial honour', in recognition of their efforts in promoting religion, safeguarding public morals, and helping spread the values ​​of tolerance that characterise the United Arab Emirates.

What is UAE Golden Visa 

The UAE’s ‘Golden visa’ is a long-term residence visa which allows foreign talents to live, work or study in the UAE while enjoying exclusive benefits which include:

• An entry visa for six months with multiple entries to proceed with residence issuance
• A long-term, renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years
• The privilege of not needing a sponsor
• The ability to stay outside the UAE for more than the usual period of six months in order to keep their residence visa valid
• The ability to sponsor their family members, including spouses and children regardless of their ages
• The ability to sponsor unlimited number of domestic helpers
• The permit for family members to stay in the UAE until the end of their permit duration, if the primary holder of the Golden visa passes away.

Many global stars have already taken the Golden Visa. These include Christiano Ronaldo, Giorgio Armani, Pakistani actors Sarah Khan and Falak Shabir,  Iqra Aziz Hussain and her husband Yasir Hussain, Fakhr e Alam and Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi.

Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Suniel Shetty from Bollywood have also received UAE Golden Visa besides Sithara Krishnakumar, musician Stephen Devassy and actor Sudheer Karamana.