About 51 per cent of the eligible expatriates in the UAE are seeking a second passport, according to research by AAA Associates, a leading immigration service provider.  

The AAA associates report finds that the nationals of Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, India and Pakistan are increasingly seeking second citizenship due to a change in their economic status and their ability to avail the second passport that allows them visa-free travel to more than 120 countries.

Nationals of these countries usually have to go through stringent visa screening process. A second passport eliminates that and helps them travel freely around the world.

A number of global immigration consultants and advisors will join the 10th edition of the International Real Estate and Investment Show (Ireis) – which is going to take place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (Adnec) from November 1 to 3 – to advice potential immigrants seeking a second passport in return of investment for relocating to other countries for better economic prospects.

This offers an opportunity for the would-be immigrants to directly seek the immigration options and fast-track visa process to a number of countries.

The UAE, which hosts more than 8 million (88 per cent) expatriates, is an ideal hub for second citizenship and residency prospects for countries in Europe, America, Canada, the Caribbean and Australia – who attract wealthy investors and skilled immigrants through business and investment immigration programmes offered to boost their economic growth.

Ireis 2018 exhibition will occupy an area of more than 10,000-sq-m and is expected to exceed 12,000 visitors and end users seeking to acquire the nationalities of other countries for real estate investment. This year, the exhibition will feature more than 125 leading local, regional and international exhibitors from 25 countries including Egypt, Greece, Turkey, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Cyprus, Spain, the UK and the US. Real estate developers, financial institutes, investors and business experts are taking place in this exhibition to showcase its innovative products and services to its visitors and buyers.

Citizenship and Residency Expo Pavilion at Ireis 2018 is set to help the large number of High-Net-Worth-Individuals (HNWIs) from around the world in finding their dream destination and investment opportunities.

Ireis also hosts the FDI Forum, which aims to create opportunities for companies and participating countries to form regional and international partnerships.

Antoine Georges, managing director at Dome Exhibitions, organisers of Ireis 2018, said: “As the world is becoming a global community due to increasing digitalisation, economic mergers and protectionism, we thought to give added value to our exhibitors, investors and visitors. IRIES 2018 is going to be a bigger and more valuable experience for our partners.

The Ireis Abu Dhabi 2017, held last November witnessed an increase of about 30 per cent in the number of real estate developers’ participation. The list of these companies included Damac Properties and Al-Futtaim.

Drawing the participation of 125 exhibitors from 24 countries and 8,521 investors from 73 nationalities, last year's show created sales volumes of over $180 million.

Dome Exhibitions, organisers of IREIS 2018, hosts exhibitions in Abu Dhabi, London, and Pakistan and helps bilateral trade and extend their reach and enhance their visibility in the global marketplace. - TradeArabia News Service