Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, recently approved the granting of 10-year golden residency to resident doctors in the UAE. The initiative aims to appreciate the efforts and contribution of healthcare professionals and support workers in the first line of defence during the UAE's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) has affirmed that the announcement will attract best healthcare expertise and professionals from around the world to the UAE. According to SEHA, the initiative also reflects the UAE leadership’s forward-looking vision to attract highly skilled medical professionals into the country and provide them a conducive environment for creativity and innovation. It is in line with the UAE’s strategic plans to develop an integrated and state-of-the-art healthcare ecosystem in the country to effectively tackle future crisis.

As part of this initiative, doctors and their families will be granted 10-year residency visas in accordance with the vision of the UAE government to strengthen its global competitiveness as the best destination to live, work and study in as well as as an incubator of talent and academic excellence. Doctors working in SEHA facilities welcomed the generous gesture of the UAE government as a significant step for them and families.

Speaking with WAM, Dr. Guido Mannaerts, Head of the Department of SEHA facility Surgery at Tawam Hospital, expressed happiness upon receiving a call from the authorities about the golden residency in the UAE for 10 years.

"I was overjoyed and very proud and that the UAE government appreciated my work and efforts over the past seven years at Tawam Hospital and I felt a sense of belonging to this great country," he said.

The initiative also imparts higher stability and reassurance among resident doctors thereby motivating them to spend their lives in the UAE with their family members and continuing their contributions to maintain the health and wellbeing of all community members.

Dr. Shoaib Saleh Samir, Internal Medicine Specialist at Al Muwaiji Healthcare Center, extended deepest gratitude to the UAE leadership, adding that it is a medal of honour to appreciate their duty towards the UAE and its people, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted that he and and his family have been living with stability and prosperity for 14 years in the UAE along with the provision of all necessities of a decent life as well as luxury amenities.

"I feel proud and grateful to be granted the golden residency in my second country, the UAE. Several doctors working in Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi also expressed to WAM their gratitude for this generous initiative by the UAE," said Dr. Michael George Uglow, a Consultant in Orthopaedics and Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City.

Dr. Yaser Toubasi, Internal Medicine Consultant and Head of Occupational Health at Ambulatory Healthcare Services-SEHA, affirmed that the initiative motivated him to ensure more efforts to protect community members and combat the impact of COVID-19.

Dr. Mohamed Firas Shalaby, a general surgery specialist in SEHA's Madinat Zayed Hospitals stated that this gesture appreciates heroes of the first line of defence who have been fighting the pandemic crisis at the forefront.

Dr. Firas Qadri Al Khatib, a specialist in general surgery at Madinat Zayed Hospital, underlined that such an initiative to grant golden residency to doctors, talents, investors, and top achievers in the UAE, is one of the highest honours for these groups.

"For me, the golden residency for doctors is like giving doctors a golden opportunity in appreciation of their work in providing healthcare to members of the community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Salima Wani, Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chair of Academic Affairs and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Corniche Hospital.

Dr. Koshi Georgey, Consultant Cardiologist and Medical Director of Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi, hailed the UAE for its continuous innovation and strategic planning to handle any crisis. He affirmed that the UAE is one of the most preferred countries to live and work in for all segments in the world.

"As doctors, we have seen the growth of the medical sector and the great leaps in it during the past few decades, which made the UAE a very desirable destination for professionals who practice medicine, as they receive the best of the world's welcome and attention," he added.

Dr. Nabil Al-Dabouni, Medical Director of the VPS Group for Medical Care, noted that the recognition will have a far-reaching impact on the UAE's medical sector.

WAM