The issuance of a civil marriage certificate is a first in the region where unions pass through a religious authority, mainly Muslim or Christian. This unprecedented step follows a long list of liberal reforms recently adopted in the United Arab Emirates.
We can cite the adoption of the weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday, the easing of restrictions on alcohol, but also the authorization of cohabitation. In fact, if the United Arab Emirates are multiplying societal reforms, it is in order to retain the expatriate battalions that run the country, the locals being a large minority, one million out of the 10 million of the total population of the Emirates. .
During the Covid epidemic, many foreigners left and did not return, including Indians and Brits. Hence a new, generous and diversified visa policy: “green visas” for the brightest foreign students, “golden visas” for executives and specialists, not to mention “freelance visas” to attract expatriates in the field of cultural and digital industries. The stated objective of the Abu Dhabi authorities is to recruit 100 computer programmers per day!
A visa for retirees has even been created, under certain financial conditions or the acquisition of real estate. In short, the Emirates are hunting talent and expatriates who are the engine of their economy.
Qatar, which is organizing the FIFA World Cup next year, is seeking to capitalize on this global event to also continue to attract expatriates. And then there is especially Saudi Arabia which has great economic ambitions and which, under the rule of Crown Prince Mohamed ben Salman, is increasing societal openings, such as lifting the ban on driving for women, putting under the suffocation of the religious police, or the organization of concerts and sporting events.
Saudi Arabia wants to become an economic hub and therefore compete with Dubai and the Emirates. Mohamed ben Salman decreed that the large international companies based in Dubai could no longer do business in the kingdom from 2024, if they did not transfer their regional headquarters to Riyadh.
The oil giant Shell has already packed up and redeployed in Arabia Other companies could follow suit. Suffice to say that between emirs of the Gulf, we do not give each other a gift when it comes to talking big money.