Lawyers in UAE (I); The land of Futuristic thoughts

UAE in a glance

An elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, the United Arab Emirates has experienced remarkable growth with plenty of work opportunities. Consisting of Abu Dhabi (The capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain, the United Arab Emirates is among the emeralds of Persian Gulf Coast Countries.

With a GDP of $58,753 per capita & population of over 10 Million, UAE hosts many of the world’s biggest companies – in various sectors – including DHL, Microsoft, Omnicom, Hilton, Marriott Hotels, BP Shell, Standard Chartered, and HSBC.

These companies are the main reason why being a lawyer in UAE is an advantage since the other factors & issues like crime & divorce are not of a great deal of pretext for a lawyer to choose Emirates for their career path.

Based on the latest statistics back in 2017, the UAE crime rate & statistics was 0.46, a 34.22% decline from 2016, making the country the 3rd safest country in the Middle East after Qatar (29th) & Kuwait (36th).

Standing at 52nd in the ranking, the country’s score is 1.848 on the Peace Index by 2021. Safety ranks UAE among the best countries to invest in & start a business in IT, finance, petroleum and petrochemicals, construction, and tourism, while startups and fintech companies have flourished in recent years.

It became independent on December 2, 1971, with the six above-mentioned emirates having agreed to form a union. UAE’s demographic population is approximately formed by 11% of local citizens, with the 89% remainder made up of expatriate workers.

The largest group of non-UAE nationals are South Asian 59.4% (including Indians 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, others 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Filipino 6.1%, other 12.8% according to the report published by the country’s National Bureau of Statistics.

Do you want to know about investing in the United Arab Emirates? The below article is highly recommended:
DUBAI: Best Place to Start Your Business

The Privilege of Being an Emirati

Being an Emirati is an advantage that could not be neglected. There are two types of citizenship in the UAE: those holding a document called khulasat al-qaid & those who don’t. Emirati nationals with full citizenship holding khulasat al-qaid, a certificate issued by the government which proves that they had ancestry in the United Arab Emirates before 1925.

The date was chosen due to the discovery of oil in the country. These Emiratis have already obtained the privilege of the wealth associated with petroleum extraction.

Full citizens enjoy all the benefits associated with a rentier state: low or no taxation, free water and subsidized electricity, free healthcare and education, land and loans to build homes, and pensions and retirement benefits from the age of 49.

These invaluable advantages are limited to a little more than 1 million population of 7 emirates in the country. Al Nahyan royal family (Abu Dhabi), Al Maktoum royal family (Dubai), Al-Qasimi royal family (Sharjah & Ras al-Khaimah), Al Nuaimi royal family (Ajman), AND Al Sharqi royal family (Fujairah) are regarded as full citizens of the country.

Second-class citizens are nationals, who own a passport issued by one of the seven emirates, but they are not categorized as full citizens & can only benefit from having an Emirati passport which is among the most powerful ones in the world, ranked 15th with the mobility to 175 countries globally.

Third-class citizens are children born to an Emirati mother & a Foreign father. These children do not acquire citizenship automatically at birth.

Generally accepted by the government, their mothers can obtain citizenship for them after applying; meanwhile, they still lack an ancestry certificate, and cannot enjoy full citizenship rights.

The fourth and most vulnerable category of Emirati natives is the bidoun, or stateless. Belonging mostly to Bedouin and nomad groups, they used to move within the borders of the UAE and its neighboring countries.

The British administration had not granted them citizenship in the 50s, while with the independence of UAE in 1971, Bidoun still had the same issues. The government has not attempted to deport them, but the stateless have been unable to enjoy any civil rights or access the public job market.

In 2008, the government’s plan of offering citizenship to these groups was not very attractive since they could only obtain Comoro Islands’ passport ( an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and northwest of Madagascar) rather than an Emirati one.

Though the UAE government has recently got involved in improving the situation of the bidoun, Comoros receives a substantial amount of money.

Immigration to UAE; unlocking the lock

As of February 2021, the United Arab Emirates announced that Emirati nationality will now be officially attainable for foreigners, a significant change in direction for a country whose economy relies heavily on expatriates, who are conditionally active in the country on their employment visas.

Overstaying fines ranging between 25 and 100 AED ($7-$27) on a daily basis beyond expats’ visa expiration date, has made immigrants especially vulnerable to labor exploitation in the UAE.

The UAE passport will be offered to selective foreigners and professionals who are “investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists, talents, intellectuals, artists and their families” according to WAM, the UAE government’s news agency.

The decision made by the UAE government is hugely dependent on the coronavirus pandemic and has forced tens of thousands of expats to leave the country due to lay-offs & economic difficulties of the corporations.

Foreign Friendly Policies in Place 

As mentioned above, the introduction of reforms was not only on cohabitation legalization but also on permitting 100% foreign business ownership, compared with previous requirements of 51% local ownership when based outside of a free zone.

While Foreign UAE residents have renewable visas due to their employment and should be renewed every three years, they have little motivation to invest in the country on a long-term basis, especially in areas like property, an important pillar of the country’s economy. 

In late 2020, the government simplified the existing “golden” visa program, granting 10-year residency to certain professionals and degrees. Furthermore, the five-year retirement visas for people above a certain income level & a remote worker visa allowing one-year stay for people with employment overseas made living in the UAE much easier & foreign-friendly. 

The reforms eased up with the assistance of Shai Zamanian, a U.S.-licensed lawyer who sees these new rules as “opening up unprecedented opportunities for families who seek permanent residency in a stable market but previously could not stay indefinitely in the UAE”.

Business in UAE; Booming with Confidence

Aside from multinational corporations choosing Dubai as their Middle East & Africa main office, Emirati companies have emerged in Forbes 2000 in the past decade. As per the 2021 Forbes Global 2000 list, 8 Emirati companies made their way to the chart with Billion Dollars market values as follows:

Rank	Name	Country	Sales	Profit	Assets	Market Value
347	First Abu Dhabi Bank	UAE	$8.25 B	$3.31 B	$272.35 B	$69.08 B
412	Etisalat	UAE	$14.52 B	$2.54 B	$34.9 B	$83.82 B
466	Emirates NBD	UAE	$8.6 B	$2.49 B	$188.95 B	$26.14 B
488	TAQA	UAE	$12.44 B	$1.62 B	$49.06 B	$42.24 B
647	International Holding Company	UAE	$7.75 B	$2 B	$24.23 B	$108.6 B
763	Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank	UAE	$4.23 B	$1.38 B	$119.87 B	$19.45 B
949	Emaar Properties	UAE	$7.86 B	$1.03 B	$33.17 B	$14.07 B
990	Dubai Islamic Bank	UAE	$3.16 B	$1.04 B	$75.98 B	$12.38 B
1188	Alpha Dhabi Holding	UAE	$5.13 B	$866.2 M	$12.89 B	$74.92 B
1738	Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank	UAE	$1.69 B	$564.7 M	$37.26 B	$8.76 B
1956	ADNOC Drilling	UAE	$2.27 B	$603.9 M	$5.1 B	$16.18 B
1963	Mashreq Bank	UAE	$2.54 B	$272.8 M	$48.2 B	$4.18 B
1980	Fertiglobe	UAE	$3.31 B	$702.7 M	$5.17 B	$12.77 B

The UAE economy is the second largest in the Arab world (after Saudi Arabia), with 421.1 billion USD ( 1546.70 billion AED). Though successfully diversifying its economy, the UAE remains extremely reliant on oil. Most of the UAE ( excluding Dubai) was dependent on oil revenues, where oil exports accounted for 77% of the UAE’s state budget.

Notwithstanding the importance of crude oil export, UAE has started diversifying its export in the past decade, while non-oil foreign trade recorded a 27 percent year-on-year jump to 1.9 trillion AED in 2021.

As Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai highlighted in Feb 2022, the country’s post-Covid recovery has been strong with “economic growth trajectory going up and dependency on oil decreases”.

It is to be said that exporting gold, ornaments and jewelry, aluminum, plastics, copper and associated articles, iron, and steel articles as the five most important UAE exports, the future of the country is to be respectful of sustainability.

Jobs in the UAE

UAE is a top place to move in for anyone wanting to advance their careers, earn a tax-free living, and have the advantage of living in the most exciting and vibrant locations in the world. It has been an attractive destination to earn money, and Dubai has been counted within the top 10 destinations to make money, especially in the past few years. 

Being a skilled worker has advantages in UAE, especially in the oil and IT sector. Currently, IT is one of the sectors attracting huge demand in the country, due to which there is an increase in competition from all over the world. Some of the other top-paying jobs in the UAE include:

• Statistical analysis and data mining
• Public policy and international relations
• Algorithm designing
• Web architecture and development framework
• Middleware and integration software
• Renewable and sustainable energy
• SEO/SEM Marketing
• Mining and commodities
• Corporate law and governance

It is important to properly negotiate your employment package while taking up a job in the UAE, especially considering that the cost of living is high, especially if you have your family along. 

In case you wish to work in the emirates, you can enter on a visit visa, depending on the country you belong to and the target employers involved. Further, you would require a labor card and a visa sponsorship from your employer to live and work in the emirate. In case you lose your job, you would need to find another alternate job within 30 days or less you would be asked to leave the country. 

The Remote work visa programme

The UAE has also launched a ‘remote work’ visa programme. According to this programme, you can travel to Dubai and live there for up to 1 year, working either as self-employed or for your employer abroad. While you do gain access to most of the country’s schemes, along with getting access to rented houses and Dubai schools; however, you are not allowed to get a job within the country. 

To go through with an application for this programme, you would be required to spend $287, along with having health insurance in Dubai. 

The ‘Retire in Dubai’ Scheme

From September 2020, Dubai expat residents have been eligible to apply for the ‘retire in Dubai’ scheme. Under this scheme, eligible residents who are 55 years or older are eligible to apply for a retirement visa, which is capable of getting renewed every 5 years. To become eligible for this scheme, there are some requirements to be met:

• You must have a monthly income of 20,000 dirhams ($5,500)
• OR you must have savings of 1 million dirhams
• OR you must own a property in Dubai worth 2 million dirhams

Therefore, it is possible for residents working in the country, who have reached retirement age, to take advantage of this scheme and retire in the country itself. 

Crime in UAE; Low With Zero-Tolerance Policy

UAE is considered one of the safest countries in the world. Being among the highest per-capita concentrations of surveillance cameras in the world, from the streets of the capital of Abu Dhabi to the tourist attractions of skyscraper-studded Dubai, surveillance cameras keep track of the license plates and faces of those passing by them.

Thus, petty crimes such as pickpocketing are low with Sharia’s Law ruling the country ( Cutting off-hand by wrist continued to the elbow & completely as other steps in case of repetition).

Terrorism is among the crimes happening low in UAE though rumor has it that business investors in favor of militia groups have listed the country as a place to raise funds to support militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The UAE is also vulnerable to money laundering due to its position as a commercial hub. A law was enacted in January 2002 for the purpose of curbing money laundering, though despite government efforts to avoid the crime, banking regulations are still developing to fight the same.

Incidents of cybercrime as in white-collar crime including fraud, bribery & funds embezzlement are increasing. In 2002, there was a 300% rise in computer hacking within six months making the country among the top ten most vulnerable to attack by hackers.

Prostitution & Human Trafficking is among other crimes happening in the UAE. Despite being an Islamic country, the United States State Department placed the United Arab Emirates as a “Tier 2” in its annual Trafficking in Person reports, meaning that it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Study on Homicide 2019, 464,000 people were murdered in 2017, while the UAE has a homicide rate of 0.46. Thus, it could be stated that murder is a very rare crime in the country.

How can an immigrant’s life change in the UAE in 2023?

There are many aspects of daily life that are expected to change in 2023 due to new policies introduced by the government. Following are some of the key changes that we shall experience in 2023:

Safety net for workers. From 1st January 2023, all private and public sector employees are compulsorily expected to subscribe to the country’s social security programme. This scheme acts as insurance in case there is any loss of employment. It is divided into 2 categories – one for those earning a monthly salary of Dh16,000 and the second for those earning more. To become a part of this programme, the first category employees would be required to spend Dh5 per month, while the second category with higher salaries would be required to spend Dh10 per month. 

The Emiratisation drive. From 1st January 2023, private companies having more than 50 employees shall have to necessarily have 2% of their staff as Emirati. In case any company fails to reach this threshold, they would be fined Dh72,000 ($19,602) for each Emirati worker that the company fails to hire. While this law does not apply to companies registered in free zones, even these companies are encouraged to hire Emiratis. 

Corporate tax. Companies will now be required to pay 9% corporate tax if earnings exceed Dh375,000. This new tax system is expected to become effective from the new financial year, starting from 1st June 2023. Companies shall have 9 months from the end of the financial year to pay their corporate taxes. This is only applicable to companies and not applicable to personal income or salaries. 

Conclusion; The UAE: The land of futuristic thoughts

With all the facts mentioned above, it is fair to conclude that the quality of life and the services offered by the United Arab Emirates is non-comparable to many countries, making it among the top 10 destinations to live, work, and settle for expats. Be it financial, professional, personal or a combination of all these traits, Abu Dhabi and Dubai rank the highest in the Arab world when it comes to quality of life and infrastructure. 

The UAE has been on the path of making itself among the best places on the planet in the past 50 years, building the country from scratch. With Its exceptional quality of life, high ranking disposable income, career prospects, and wage growth, the UAE stands tall among the global giants as in the U.S, the UK, Germany, France & China. Modern accommodation and medical facilities, excellent private schools, and highly developed infrastructure made the old UAE, full of deserts & oases, forgotten. With ambitious plans in the mind of its leaders, the UAE is the land of futuristic thoughts, looking to exert itself to the most.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the top-paying jobs in the UAE?

Some of the top-paying jobs in the UAE are:

• Statistical analysis and data mining
• Public policy and international relations
• Algorithm designing
• Web architecture and development framework
• Middleware and integration software
• Renewable and sustainable energy
• SEO/SEM Marketing
• Mining and commodities
• Corporate law and governance

How is life in the UAE?

With a GDP of $58,753 per capita & population of over 10 Million, UAE is considered one of the safest countries in the world. Among the highest per-capita concentrations of surveillance cameras in the world, from the streets of the capital of Abu Dhabi to the tourist attractions of skyscraper-studded Dubai, surveillance cameras keep track of the license plates and faces of those passing by them.

It is fair to conclude that the quality of life and the services offered by the United Arab Emirates is non-comparable to many countries, making it among the top 10 destinations to live, work, and settle for expats. Be it financial, professional, personal, or a combination of all these traits, Abu Dhabi and Dubai rank the highest in the Arab world when it comes to quality of life and infrastructure.