Dubai on Monday announced a new online system to enable residents to complete visa renewals in minutes, in support of a nationwide drive to boost government service efficiency.
The "Salama” platform – overseen by the emirate's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – automatically recognises user details once they are logged in, displays the status of dependents’ visas and even highlights the remaining days until expiration, authorities said. The programme harnesses artificial intelligence to speed up the visa renewal process, cutting down on waiting times and paperwork.
Users can choose the duration for renewal and have their requests processed immediately. The platform also offers services such as cancelling a dependent’s visa and addressing general inquiries related to visas and residency.
It features an integrated payment feature, removing the need for people to navigate multiple digital platforms or visit service centres. No further details on when the scheme will go live and how residents can access the platform were disclosed. People renewing visas are still required to undergo medical screening beforehand, but the Salama platform aims to reduce wait times for renewal when the examination has been conducted.
“We believe that digital transformation is not merely an upgrade of services, but a redefinition of user experience,” said Maj Gen Mohamed Ahmed Al Marri, director general of the GDRFA. “This enhances government performance and achieves our leadership’s vision of providing services that are easier and smoother.”
Col Khalid Al Falsi, assistant director general for digital services at the authority, said the scheme represented a step forward in the government's efforts to use advanced technology to make services more efficient.
“It relies on advanced algorithms to understand user needs and respond with precision and speed,” he said. “The platform offers a tailored experience that boosts operational efficiency and provides proactive services reflective of the future of smart government.”
In January this year, the department announced plans to introduce a single platform to manage residency procedures for government, semi-government and free zone entities.
Cutting the red tape
In June, the UAE expanded a government strategy to cut processing times for residency visas and work permits from up to 30 days to five. The scheme – first introduced in Dubai in April before being rolled out nationally – aims to allow companies to hire staff more quickly and easily.
The Work Bundle platform is part of a wider effort to address government bureaucracy. It aims to simplify the processes involved in securing residency and work permits.
“The initial launch of the Work Bundle platform witnessed a strong response from companies,” said Khalil Khoori, undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, at the time. He said the move would benefit more than 600,000 businesses employing more than seven million staff.
“Procedures that took 20 to 30 days can now be completed within five days through the new platform," he said. “The platform allows companies to submit requests and upload fewer documents. Before this service, multiple documents had to be submitted to different departments. Now, all necessary information is accessible through a single platform.”
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Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
