On Jan. 30, the United Arab Emirates announced an amendment to its citizenship law that allows select expatriates and foreign nationals to gain Emirati citizenship. The law was framed as an attempt to attract and retain individuals with exceptional and specialized skills in areas the country deems the most necessary. The new law permits the granting of citizenship to investors, residents with specialized talent and select professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. It will also allow expats to become dual citizens for the very first time in the history of the UAE.

The select individuals who are eligible to apply for the citizenship must be highly skilled in their area of expertise. For example, doctors who apply for citizenship must be specialized in a field highly demanded in the UAE and have no less than 10 years of practical experience in such a field. They are also required to be members of a reputable organization within their field. In contrast, investors who apply for citizenship must only own property in the UAE.

Applicants approved for citizenship will need to swear an oath of allegiance and commit to abide by all UAE laws. The granted citizenship can be withdrawn upon breach of conditions. While those who become citizens may not have all the privileges and benefits received by those born Emirati, it is not yet clear what this citizenship may exclude. For instance, the citizenship can be withdrawn in the case of naturalized citizens but not in the case of Emirati-born citizens.

The Gazelle’s News Desk sat down with Laure Salma Assaf, Assistant Professor of Arab Crossroads Studies and Anthropology and an expert in Gulf Studies to discuss the likely impacts of the new law on various stakeholders. Assaf is optimistic that the new law will lead to economic diversification and cater to the UAE’s overall economic growth.

“There is really a push towards maintaining and retaining talented individuals. It was already the case in Dubai but since the 2000s, what has really become the project is … economic diversification … Attracting investors and others is crucial,” explained Assaf.

Assaf added that this new amendment to citizenship laws is more anticipated than surprising. She highlighted that previous reforms concerning those perceived as expatriates in the UAE were hinting at the arrival of this new law.

“This is not a very surprising move … this is very much in keeping with the recent decrees about the residency visa, the golden visa, retirement visa … a series of measures that were adapted … that extended residency for certain categories of the population,” mentioned Assaf. “This form of naturalization already existed and so, what it seems is that this law systematizes that process.”

While the new citizenship represents many-a-step toward economic development and diversification, the number of residents and people it may benefit remains to be seen. Assaf noted that this may be the biggest caveat of the law and it must be kept in mind when envisioning its impacts. As she points out, “Clearly the goal here is to allow people to settle for longer times into the country and to settle without concerns about security. [However,] the main caveat is that this concerns the economic elites, people who already have the means and professional categories who are less likely to easily lose their jobs.”

For Assaf, the most innovative and surprising aspect of the amendment is extending citizenship to families. It is a reflection of the UAE’s emphasis on attracting talent.

Assaf adds that this new law also ensures stability and job security in the long run: “It's clearly in line with what a lot of expats have been asking for a long time, which is not [only] the citizenship and its benefits, but the long term guarantee of stability, which is what this law is doing.”

When asked whether the new law can pose a threat to the local UAE population in terms of competition and economic opportunities, Assaf responded, “There are two ways from which the government is approaching economic diversification, one way is Emiratization - trying to get more and more Emiratis to join the private sector and the other way is basically to further integrate the talent coming from outside.” Assaf believes that this law does not pose any threat to the local UAE population as the government is already taking steps to make sure that the local population is integrated in the common pursuit of economic development.

According to Assaf, the Emirati population has reacted positively to reforms introduced earlier concerning visa and citizenship in the UAE. She is confident that this law will also be viewed in a positive light.” Overall, the new law is likely to boost the UAE’s economic development in both the short run and the long run.