Freehold owners in Abu Dhabi to get visas

A senior government official in Abu Dhabi has disclosed details about a federal law granting residency visas to owners of freehold property. This law is expected to be introduced within the year.

The law will allow freehold owners to obtain a six-month renewable residency visa, regardless of their nationality or the size and value of the property, said Brig Gen Nasser al Minhali, the acting director general of the federal Department of Naturalisation and Residency (DNR).

According to Brig Gen Minhali, the aim is to create a unified visa system related to home purchases.

“It is a security organisational procedure. We do not want each emirate to develop procedures on its own, so we will unify it under the Ministry of Interior.”

He also said that residency visas granted in the past would remain valid, but it would not be possible to renew them until the federal law was implemented. He refused to reveal further details, as the law is still being studied.

The proposal is welcomed by property developers, as the introduction of a single property visa system for the whole country would benefit a housing market that has experienced a downturn the last couple of months. Both Dubai-based MAG Group Properties and Aldar, Abu Dhabi’s largest property developer, expressed their warm feelings on the proposal.

Even though overall people buy as a long-term investment, or to profit from sale or rent, this could be a motivating factor for some buyers.

The National

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