Everyone’s at least once thought of dropping everything and moving to Dubai to start a new life from scratch. Although many of us have managed to make it work, the UAE is still known for its knotted paperwork and expensive visas. But those days are finally over as the Emirate is about to make things much easier.
On January 9, the Dubai Airport Free Zone revealed the launch of their latest scheme to date: the Talent Pass. It’s a freelance license that aims to attract creatives from all ends of the spectrum, ranging from the arts to media, technology, marketing and more.
“Sheikh Mohammed announced that Dubai will be the capital of creative talent. We wanted to increase our contribution to the creative economy,” commented Abdulaziz Al Hammadi, responsible for marketing and business growth at DAFZ.
Coming with a price tag of Dh9,500 ($2,586), the work permit allows freelancers to stay up to three years with renewable visa costs that will vary depending on the category and profile of each candidate.
“When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, there was the rise of the gig economy. The talent pass freelance licence helps to make this service more legit” Al Hammadi continued.
With the clear will to become the region’s capital for the cultural industries, Dubai is proving that actions speak much louder than words by prompting change now rather than later.
