The new rule allows any UAE resident, male or female, to sponsor family members (spouse, under-18 sons and unmarried daughters), provided he/she earns a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000 (3870) or Dh3,000 (£652) or over if accommodation is provided by the company, according to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC).

Expats who wish to make use of the new law must provide proof of housing and health insurance for their families, as well as Emirates ID, which signifies their registration in the national population database.  They must also apply for ID for each member of their family.

The sponsor must present a certified marriage certificate and their children’s birth certificates with all translated into Arabic, as well as proof of their monthly income.

A wife wishing to sponsor her children must also attach a certified written agreement from her husband.  Widowed and divorced women can also sponsor their children provided they present a recently issued divorce or death certificate to prove custody.

Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, stated that the decision “will improve the family lives and social ties of private sector workers”.  He also stressed that the move will “increase productivity” in the labour market, “support the national economy, and improve the performance of workers within a comprehensive environment that will integrate the entire community”.

Previously, a man had to earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 plus accommodation to sponsor his family while a woman had to make a minimum of Dh10,000 per month to bring her family to the country.  Eligibility was also restricted to certain professions.