Dubai Partners With Airbnb To Attract Remote Workers To UAE

Dubai has partnered with Airbnb to attract more talent to the UAE.

Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), through its partnership with the holiday listings website, is set to unveil a new remote working hub that will provide information on long-term accommodation, entry requirements, and visa policies for people seeking to work in the region.

The DET said the remote working hub will serve as a one-stop-shop for aspiring remote workers, and will draw more talents to the region with its one-year residency permit for remote working professionals. The department also said anyone looking to reside and work in Dubai can take advantage of the hub to find local long-term listings and other information on entry requirements and visa policies.

"Dubai is a global leader in facilitating remote working," said Airbnb Middle East and Africa Regional Lead Velma Corcoran. "As this trend continues to accelerate, we want to work together to make it easier for people to enjoy the newfound flexibility to work and travel, and help the city harness the economic benefits of this new type of tourism."

The remote working hub is just one of the UAE's series of initiatives to draw more talents to the country. Earlier this year, the region introduced a one-year digital nomad visa to allow digital nomads from other countries to reside in the Emirates while working for employers in their home countries. With the new visa, "any employee anywhere in the world can reside in the UAE to practice work remotely, even if the company is not present in the country."

The move to introduce a digital nomad visa came as the UAE took advantage of the popularity of the work-from-home setup during the pandemic. As more people started to work from home, the country allowed digital workers from other countries to enter the UAE under self-sponsorship and work in line with the terms and conditions issued with the visa.

Dubai is known today as one of the most remote worker-friendly destinations in the world. Earlier this year, Airbnb recognized the country as one of the top 20 best places to work for digital nomads, alongside Thailand, Canary Islands, and the Caribbean.