In the first half of this year, Dubai saw a 63% increase in the issuance of resident permits in comparison to the same period last year.

At a press conference where details about the upcoming “International Conference on Policymaking: The Future of Ports,” which will take place on September 19 and 20 in Dubai, were presented, the number was made public.

At a press conference, Brigadier Khalaf Al Ghaith, assistant director-general of the follow-up division at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai), revealed that the number of Golden Visas issued in Dubai had increased by 52% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.

In addition, there was a 34% increase in visit visas and a 21% increase in tourist visas in the GDRFA-Dubai.

As Dubai recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, according to Brig Al Ghaith, the GDRFA-Dubai processed 11,319,991 transactions, including those for resident permits and entry and departure transactions through air, land, and seaports.

Border control

According to officials, 23 international leaders, policymakers, researchers, and experts from the UAE, Europe, the USA, and Asia will convene at the upcoming conference on the future of ports to foster discussions on cutting-edge methods for border management, immigration, and residency.

Participants will have the wonderful opportunity to observe the best methods used globally to handle border crossings and participate in fruitful discussions addressing various industries on both a local and global level.

Pressure on capacity

The conference will discuss how to create proactive policies to effectively navigate impending barriers in addition to significant global issues about immigration and residence, stressing standards pertinent to both the UAE and the greater Middle East region.

The conference will also serve as a forum for discussions on evolving travel preferences, technological advancements in the sector, and the ongoing challenge of handling rising passenger numbers.

The focus of the discussions will also be on coming up with innovative solutions to deal with the enormous numbers—estimated to reach 19 billion passengers worldwide in 2040—as well as the aviation industry’s capacity, as well as the readiness and equipment of airlines and airports.

Paperless travel

Additionally, it will discuss the future of travel documents, their transition to electronic formats, and potential applications of big data to enhance the comfort, speed, and flexibility of travel.

At the press conference for the GDRFA-Dubai, Major General Dr. Ali Al Zaabi, Assistant Director General, Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director-General, Major General Talal Ahmed Al Shanqiti, Assistant General Director of the Airport Passport Affairs Sector, and Dr. Hanan Al Marzooqi, Director of Governance and Compliance, were all present.

Airport rebound

According to Maj Gen Al Shantaqi, the first half of this year saw up to 42 million people transit through Dubai International Airport, of which 26 million were arrivals and departures. The remaining people were traveling.

In the future, he said, officials hope to fully deploy biometrics at the airport. 42% of tourists have utilized smart gates so far this year. More intelligent gates will be added soon.

“We want Dubai airports to be the easiest and smoothest airport in the world with these smart counters,” Maj Gen Al Shantaqi said.