Fresh figures from Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) show 66,000 Golden Visas and 1.02 million new residence permits were granted in the first six months of 2026, despite region-wide geopolitical headwinds that briefly disrupted Gulf airspace. Investor interest in the 10-year Golden Visa remains robust: many buyers enter on a six-month property-investor permit while building their real-estate portfolio to the AED 2 million threshold before converting to long-term residency. The data underscores Dubai’s resilience amid June’s Strait of Hormuz shipping scare and intermittent airport closures linked to the Iran conflict. For global companies, the statistics confirm that talent-retention tools—long-term visas, family sponsorship and self-sponsorship—continue to expand, making Dubai an attractive base for regional headquarters. Analysts expect a further spike as new categories for climate-tech entrepreneurs and advanced-manufacturing specialists come online later this year.
Source: IMI Daily
