The 10-year-visa policy announced this week by the UAE opens up new vistas of enduring opportunities in many domains, but the health and education sectors, understandably, enjoy a particular accentuation. The longevity of the visa for highly skilled health professionals directly translates into an enhanced profile of specialised, intensive, health-care skills that are critical assets, particularly in the lead-up to the UAE’s 2021 National Agenda goals. The sooner the top tier of medical professionals opt to make the UAE their operational base, the stronger the incentive for investors to come flocking to this market.

The true worth of experience can only be realised in its applicability and by helping retain specialised brain power, the UAE will fortify its appeal as a medical hub, which also includes the medical tourism objective, that is witnessing impressive growth year upon year. The long-term visa policy will also directly lead to a more stable demographic reality that will anchor progress as more of a guarantee than a projection. This principle works equally well in the field of education, with the five-year visa for students, and a 10-year-visa for high performers, working as a trigger for students to pursue a career in the UAE. For parents who opt to educate their children in UAE schools and universities, the prospects of their wards making a life here provides exceptional comfort and gratitude.

This strategy fulfils the oldest known success formula: Retention of home-grown talent and its indigenous contributions to the full spectrum of national contribution. The new visa policy, thus, will further strengthen the sectors, making UAE the country of choice for people from all walks of life.