Business Desk 
Sep 30, 2025
The United Arab Emirates has announced major changes to its visa system by introducing new visa categories to attract talent from abroad, stimulate tourism, and offer humanitarian aid.
One of the significant changes is a new visa for specialists in Artificial Intelligence (AI), which signals the growing interest in technology (and innovation) in the UAE.
A new event visa has also been introduced for people attending exhibitions, conferences, festivals, and sporting events.
Tourism regulations have been updated to include a multiple-entry maritime visa for visitors arriving on leisure boats or cruise ships.
As part of an important humanitarian initiative, the UAE will offer one-year residence permits to those displaced by war or natural disaster without the need for a local sponsor.
Similarly, widows and divorced women can now procure residency independent from a sponsor.
The reforms will also alter sponsorship rules on visit visas to include income requirements and will be based on blood ties: AED 4,000 to sponsor a first-degree relative, AED 8,000 to sponsor a second- or third-degree relative, and AED 15,000 to sponsor a friend.
Moreover, business visas will now require proof of solvency or ownership of a foreign company, while foreign lorry drivers will only be permitted sponsorship of licensed freight and transport companies.
Officials emphasised that the changes align with the UAE’s broader strategy to attract global talent, strengthen its technology sectors, and consolidate its position as a hub for trade, tourism, and innovation.
