Residents can now apply, renew residency visa on Dubai’s official app DubaiNow

The immigration authority in Dubai is the latest government entity to offer its services at the touch of a button.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai has recently launched services on the DubaiNow app to provide residents with the facility of applying, managing and cancelling residency visas for their spouse and / or children.

The DubaiNow app is an initiative carried out by Smart Dubai – a government entity charged with facilitating Dubai's citywide smart transformation, to empower, deliver and promote an efficient, seamless, safe and impactful city experience for residents and visitors.

Available services on DubaiNow

Utilities and bills

Pay your DEWA, Etisalat, du, Dubai Municipality bills. Pay your Dubai Police traffic fines. Top up your Salik, NOL, Dubai Customs Accounts Donate to Dubai Cares and Al Jalila Foundation.

Driving

Renew your vehicle registration. Top up your parking time. Explore street speed limits. View road accident notifications to plan your travel efficiently. Find your nearest petrol station and Tasjeel centres.

Public Transport

Track Dubai Airport flight departures and arrivals. Call a Taxi. View the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) metro map. Plan your journey to and from any point, and view the best routes.

Education

Find schools registered with Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and universities’ information and filter by name, rating, annual fees, curriculum and location.

General

View Dubai Calendar and Dubai’s daily weather conditions. Find your nearest ATM, and use the fastest route to reach Track Emirates Post (Empost) shipments and view shipping rates. Send your feedback or report complaints regarding any government department service in Dubai. Access Makani to locate specific buildings and addresses in Dubai, a service provided by Dubai Municipality

Islam

View daily prayer timings, find your nearest mosque and select the fastest route to get there.

Security

Report a violation to Dubai Police. Find the nearest Dubai Police Station and select the fastest route to get there. Inquire about the status of Dubai Court’s cases. Call emergency numbers like Dubai Police, Ambulance, Fire Department, and DEWA.

Business

Search for trade activity with the Department of Economic Development (DED). Track and renew trade licenses registered with the DED. Reserve a trade name.

Dubai Launched Virtual Commercial License for non-resident business people and freelancers

Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, announced the launch of the region's first 'Virtual Company Licence’.

The programme allows only verified non-resident individuals to register a company, and the owners of such companies have to be the nationals or tax residents of countries that have implemented the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters and share tax information about their citizens and residents.

Eligible countries

The official website has a heatmap showing the eligible and non-eligible countries across the globe. India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, North Americas, South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Brazil, Argentina, Chile are some of the countries on the eligible list. Yemen, Oman, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Venezuela, Algeria, Egypt are on the non-eligible list according to the map online.

What does this mean?

The Virtual Company Licence will allow investors worldwide to do business in Dubai digitally without requiring residence and in accordance with the highest international legal standards. Virtual Company Licence owners can manage all their business-related activities, including document signing and submission digitally, and the signatures are legally binding in the UAE.

This initiative is aligned with the third Article of the 50-Year Charter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which aims to build a ‘Virtual Commercial City’ in Dubai.

The Virtual Company Licence will enable freelancers and business people worldwide to have access to a regulated e-commerce platform and easily work with Dubai-based companies while also exploring new markets and investment opportunities digitally.

Saudi Arabia launches tourist Visa to 49 countries

Saudi Arabia opened its doors to the world on Friday after it announced that tourist visas will be available to citizens from 49 countries.

For the first time, tourists can now apply for a visa through Saudi embassies and consulates across the world

Marking a milestone in Saudi Arabia’s history, Ahmed Al Khateeb, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (SCTH), announced the launch of the tourist visa for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at an event in Ad-Diriyah, a Unesco World Heritage Site in Riyadh.

Citizens from 49 countries will also be able to apply for an e-visa or receive a visa on arrival into Saudi Arabia. A dedicated online portal at visitsaudi.com was also launched and electronic kiosks are set to be available at airports to facilitate requests.

The following 49 countries will be eligible to apply for e-visas and visas on arrival:

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Kazakhstan
4. Singapore
5. Brunei
6. New Zealand
7. South Korea
8. Japan
9. Spain
10. Belgium
11. Malaysia
12. Austria
13. Cyprus
14. UK
15. Croatia
16. Estonia
17. Andorra
18. Denmark
19. Germany
20. Bulgaria
21. France
22. Hungary
23. Czech Republic
24. Holland
25. Italy
26. Finland
27. Ireland
28. Lithuania
29. Greece
30. Liechtenstein
31. Monaco
32. Iceland
33. Malta
34. Poland
35. Latvia
36. Norway
37. Russia
38. Luxembourg
39. Romania
40. Slovenia
41. Montenegro
42. Slovakia
43. Switzerland
44. Portugal
45. Sweden
46. Australia
47. San Marino
48. Ukraine
49. China, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan

The tourist visa allows for a stay of up to 3 months per entry, with visitors able to spend up to 90 days a year in Saudi Arabia. The visa is valid for one year with multiple entries.

The cost of applying for an e-visa or a visa on arrival is 440 riyals (around $117) plus VAT.

Saudi Arabia intends to extend the e-visa scheme to other countries in due course.

Bounced Cheques in the UAE: Beyond Fines – The Era of Direct Execution

"A common misconception remains that a bounced cheque case in the UAE ends with a simple fine or a short prison term. While decriminalization has changed the landscape, the legal reality in 2026 is far more serious for the issuer. A bounced cheque is no longer just a piece of paper; it is now a powerful legal weapon for immediate debt recovery."

Section 1: Cheques as an "Executive Deed"

Under the new UAE Commercial Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022), a bounced cheque due to insufficient funds is now classified as an Executive Deed.

• The Impact: The beneficiary no longer needs to file a lengthy civil lawsuit. They can take the bounced cheque and the bank’s "Return Memo" directly to the Execution Court.
• The Result: The court can order the immediate seizure of assets, freezing of bank accounts, and travel bans within days, not months.

Section 2: Decriminalization vs. Malicious Intent

While most cases of "insufficient funds" have been decriminalized to favor financial recovery over imprisonment, criminal liability still applies in cases of:

• Bad Faith: Closing the account or withdrawing the balance before the cheque is presented.
• Instruction to Stop Payment: Ordering the bank not to honor the cheque without a lawful reason.
• Forgery/Fraud: Deliberately signing in a way that causes a mismatch.
• Cheques over AED 200,000: These may still be referred to the Criminal Court depending on the circumstances.

Section 3: The 2026 Fine Structure (Dubai & UAE)

For cheques under AED 200,000, the Public Prosecution can still impose administrative fines to settle the criminal aspect, but this does not absolve the debt:

• Up to AED 50,000: AED 2,000 fine
• AED 50,000 – AED 100,000: AED 5,000 fine
• AED 100,000 – AED 200,000: AED 10,000 fine

Section 4: Mandatory Partial Payment

A major 2022 update requires banks to provide partial payment. If an account has AED 40,000 and the cheque is for AED 100,000, the bank must pay AED 40,000 upon the bearer's request. The bearer then pursues the remaining AED 60,000 through the fast-track Execution Court.

Section 5: Civil Penalties & Consequences

If a case reaches the Execution Court, the issuer faces:

• Full Payment: The entire value of the cheque.
• Legal Interest: Typically a 9% to 12% interest rate (depending on court ruling) calculated from the date of the bounce.
• Travel Ban & Arrest Warrant: If payment is not made within 15 days of the court notification.
• Credit Score Damage: AECB reports show bounced cheques for up to 5 years, blocking future loans or credit cards.

✅ Strategic Advice for Business Owners

Frame your cheque management as a Compliance Audit. In 2026, a single bounced cheque can paralyze your company’s operations through an immediate asset freeze. Ensure your "Bankable Deal Folders" include proof of liquidity before issuing post-dated cheques for project funding.

🔖 #UAELaw2026 #BouncedChequeUAE #DubaiCourts #BusinessSuccession #DebtRecoveryUAE #LegalUpdatesUAE

Dubai launches new freelance work permit

Residents can now obtain a new freelance package for an annual fee of Dh7,500 in media and education sectors with Dubai Media City (DMC) and Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP), officials announced. The package, called Gofreelance, was launched by TECOM Group, a member of Dubai Holding, in partnership with Dubai Creative Clusters Authority.

The annual fee includes the Freelancer Permit and access to the Business Centre. If the candidates require a visa, such as if they are non-residents who want to freelance here, relevant “assistance” will be provided. However, the visa will cost separately as per the normally associated fees.

Gofreelance was announced during a media briefing at Dubai Press Club on Tuesday. Speaking at the event, officials from Dubai Media City outlined the benefits of the new package, which offers a freelance permit at a significantly lower fee (around half) than previous freelance packages in Dubai.

Freelancing advantage

Residents who hold jobs can obtain the Freelance Permit provided they have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer or sponsor, supplementing their salary. Companies, meanwhile, will be able to commission freelancers for needs such as a one-off project, contract-based work, outsourcing or assistance with the extra workload. The permit is also open to candidates who are on their parent’s or husband’s visa.

At the moment, the permit is restricted to certain “activities” in each of the two sectors of Education and Media. For example, in Education, there are five activities, including Education Advisor, Researcher, and eLearning Advisor.

Activities

The Media category, on the other hand, has almost 50 activities, including Actor, Animator, Cameraman, Journalist, and others.

Majed Al Suwaidi, managing director of Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City, told on the sidelines of the event that the new package comes in line with expectations of a changing professional market.

“We see there are a lot of changes in the industry. The media industry today is not like the media industry 10 years ago. How individuals interact with the media and how the media interacts with individuals has drastically changed,” Al Suwaidi said.

Work freedom

Al Suwaidi also said there are a lot of people “‘freelancing’ without the right [legal] structure. What we’re saying is that the right structure is better for you – and it doesn’t cost you that much”.

‘Strong interest’

Mohammad Abdullah, managing director of Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and DKP, told Gulf News there has been “strong interest” from the community for the new permit package and officials have started receiving applications.

“Freelance permits have been there before, but today’s event is to announce the new package. We’re making the process easier, faster and have reduced the cost, by around 70 per cent compared to many cases earlier,” Abdullah said.

Simplified process

The process for obtaining the permit has also been simplified, with almost all of the needed steps done online at www.gofreelance.ae, the website of the permit.

Candidates have to upload the application forms and required documents, such as their CV, passport and visa copy, a bank reference letter, and sponsor’s NOC (if applicable).

Once the application is approved, candidates will receive an email notification and then visit one of the business centres in DMC or DKP to personally sign the documents and pay the fee. During the visit, the candidates may be asked relevant questions regarding their application for clarification or verification purposes. Shortly afterwards, they will receive their freelance permit via email.