Golden Card: An Iconic Transformation

On 1 May 2019 article of Gulf News, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government launched a renewable long-term residency visa to following five (5) categories to qualified residents and expatriates, and their families (spouses and children) --

1. investors;
2. real estate investors;
3. entrepreneurs;
4. talented people like doctors, researchers and innovators, and;
5. outstanding students

Twenty days after, there was an iconic transformation not only in the history of the UAE but in the lives of 6,800 investors. According to Gulf News on 21 May 2019, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai launched yesterday a permanent residency visa system which is called as "Golden Card". The said beneficiaries' total investments amount to AED100B. Definitely, this move will strengthen the beneficiaries' commitment to pay forward in terms of creating more growth opportunities for the host country and its residents.

The highly respected visionary leader who always aims for the stability of the country said that they consider the new residents 'permanent partners going hand in hand' with them on their journey. He announced on Twitter specific categories like investors and exceptional doctors, engineers, scientists, and artists.

The UAE is a second home to many nationalities, around 200+, from different walks of life, cooperating with each other despite diversities. How the government manages the blending of differences is remarkable.  They declared that 2019 is the Year of Tolerance, which promotes understanding and harmony. The peace and order situation is one primary attractor to expatriates. Above this, they see the dynamic leaders to be always in action performing their duties to seek improvement and exert all-out efforts to provide facilities possible to make the best of living in the country. The creation of the Ministry of Happiness is one (1) solid reflector of how they value the mental health of everyone, as happiness contributes greatly to well being of all residents.

Surely many residents, tourists and outsiders want to stay here on a long-term or permanent residency visa. For one, just the thought of Dubai as a City of Gold is iconic, like an emblem. Just the thought of great leaders is iconic, like heroes giving opportunities to people to survive and thrive, giving light to those in darkness. You see golden gold and golden black. You see sunbeams and solar panels. You see flowers and miracles.

The inclusion of the family in granting of long-term visa for the qualified ones is very important as the family is the basic social structure of the society. The family members provide the needed emotional support of each one. By having them around, they feel loved. The home responsibilities are shared, with more familiarity, compassion, and understanding, so they can focus more on their key roles. Other members of the family can find jobs, get working visas with special work permit and no-objection certificate. This means fewer expenses for the hiring employers and more consumption that will contribute to the economy of the host country. Normally they rent a flat good for a family so they enjoy the spaces designed for every purpose or they can have some do-it-yourself hacks for more creative living.

The filtering process is challenging to qualify, but things evolve. Life is a process. From the complicated, we see a transformation to simplicity. From indifference to tolerance. From zero to something. From victim to victor. From nobody to hero.  From ordinary to extraordinary. From repeated failures to unicorn success. From the ground to the moon. 

If a country has to create more job opportunities so many people will have a source of income to pay their bills, buy what they want, and save for rainy days and retirement, it has to create many entrepreneurs. For the entrepreneurs to succeed, they have to be deeply rooted first so that whatever storms test them, their roots cannot just be pulled away from the deep ground. But it takes failures after failures to create a home-grown success, tested on the same ground. It takes an average of 10 years for an entrepreneur to be on firm ground.

For those who are employed, it will be worth considering to allow them to have a side business, legally, so their source of income can finance the business. Their additional earnings will give them additional purchasing power, more to pay for items and services being sold in the locality, and more resources to upgrade their skills, to be more productive residents.

For those who are financially crippled and hit by any form of the crisis beyond their control, a long-term stay will be an opportunity to pick themselves from pieces, redeem their dignity, and take their lives back. Where they fell, they rise again. The strongest people are usually the most wounded ones. The sanctuary will be remembered. If they do not have the money to qualify, they may have exceptional talents. Still, if they have not yet established that track record to highlight their special talents, or still in the average level being nurtured and honed to shine,  we pray and hope that there will be an across-the-board easier way to be granted a longer-term visa.

The long-term or permanent visa in a place we love dearly can be everybody's dream. It is a transformation goal. Every single day, we exert an extra effort to deserve so.  Not all transformations can be seen by our eyes. But we can passionately make it happen, as a true transformation happens not elsewhere but within us. There will always be an iconic transformation in everyone who pursues his dream, no matter what.

Werner Erhard said, 

You and I possess within ourselves at every moment of our lives, under all circumstances, the power to transform the quality of our lives.

Dreaming of a golden breakthrough, a golden transformation, a golden card, a golden rose, a golden something.

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Photo credits:  Pixabay