Since 2019, when the UAE introduced its 10-year residency programme – usually referred to as the golden visa – hundreds of thousands of people have obtained one. The visa’s popularity should not be surprising; it empowers people to put down roots in a country that has a booming economy and job market, an increasingly accessible property ladder, first-class schools and health care as well as an enviable reputation for safety and stability.
That popularity can have its drawbacks, too, as some try to benefit illicitly from its appeal. This week, UAE authorities moved to correct some inaccurate overseas reporting that fuelled a frenzy of speculation about the golden visa. In a statement, the government denied that the visas could be purchased for a one-time fee of Dh100,000 ($27,229), following widespread claims in Indian media of a scheme said to be aimed at Indian citizens. Some reports had claimed the scheme would be extended to Bangladeshi citizens as well.
Earlier this week, federal immigration authorities also had to deny the UAE was issuing golden visas to cryptocurrency investors after a blockchain technology company suggested on social media that such investors could secure the 10-year residence by paying a one-off fee.
Excitement about the visa and its evolving requirements are understandable, but these incidents should make people take stock about the news they consume – and share. This is easier said than done. We live in a digital age in which the sheer volume of information, unceasingly sent, shared and reshared through handheld devices, makes it difficult and time consuming for the average person to apply an appropriate level of scepticism.
And yet, this is exactly what needs to happen. Although news organisations and social media platforms can – and should – do more to establish the veracity of the stories they are disseminating, the ultimate responsibility for scrutiny lies with each person. We must each act responsibly in how we consume and spread information. Many schools in the UAE and abroad are already incorporating digital literacy into their curriculum, equipping the next generation with the nous and critical thinking necessary to navigate this information age.
Although news organisations and social media platforms can – and should – do more to establish the veracity of the stories they are disseminating, the ultimate responsibility for scrutiny lies with us
But there is a long way to go and considerable challenges still to be met. During the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, inaccurate information about airspace closures and missile strikes was circulated across millions of smartphones. Increasingly, such messages and reports are the result of deliberate attempts to confuse and distort the media space; during the war, Israeli threat intelligence firm Radware reported a significant rise in co-ordinated disinformation.
Echo chambers, algorithms, filter bubbles … it can all seem like too much for the general reader to deal with. In a sense, it is – the speed and volume of information at this stage of the 21st century is unprecedented in human history. But this fact only makes it more important that we collectively examine our biases, exercise some common sense and pause before sharing what seems like a great story.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed
