A 3 year Talent Pass for freelance work is a new government initiative aimed at attracting talented professionals in the spheres of education, technology, media, culture, consultancy, art and marketing. The license builds on Dubai’s previous initiatives to support the creative industries by offering freelancers a framework for administrative and networking assistance. It is also a great opportunity for corporations affected by the coronavirus to take advantage of outsourcing. The Talent Pass will give opportunities to companies to plug the gaps with jobs that have emerged with the pandemic. It is expected that the pass will provide an increase in domestic GDP, and increase consumer spending as well as household incomes in the emirate of Dubai.

The introduction of the Talent Pass by Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) will strengthen the creative economy of Dubai, increase the attractiveness of the emirate for international freelancers, as well as increase Dubai’s GDP. The emirate strives to become a hub for creatives and innovators and plans to increase the contribution of creative industries from 2.6% to 5% of GDP, simultaneously expanding the number of jobs in these spheres from 70,000 to 150,000 over the next 5 years. The creative industries offer jobs in the sectors of design, IT, digital, advertising, etc.

The Talent Pass gives its owner the right to obtain a license to freelance or conduct independent work, to obtain a residence visa in the emirate for a period of 3 years, as well as allowing them to rent office spaces provided by DAFZ. This economic zone is not only different by flexible operation costs, but also the option of obtaining services remotely. Moreover, more than 1,800 international and local companies are located in DAFZ, of which over 30 organizations are among Fortune Global 500 multinationals.

The initiative of the Talent Pass is a joint project between Dubai Airports Free Zone, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. The Talent Pass will legitimize freelancers and self-employed professionals in the emirate of Dubai. Due to this new initiative, freelancers will be able to have the correct visa type, the appropriate license, and flexibility. In addition, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs and Dubai Culture will offer a golden visa to eligible talent pass holders validated by DAFZA.

Separately, it is worth noting that according to the TOP 100 City Destinations Index 2021, the emirate is ranked 1st place for Economy among other Arab countries, which only strengthens its position as a sustainable city in a pandemic. The growth of freelancers in Dubai is only expected to continue to increase compared to other developed countries and will continue to provide more opportunities for outsourcing talent. Overall, freelancing will contribute to the UAE being ranked 1st place in the Doing Business and the Ease of Doing Business Index.