DUBAI: Sania Mirza, the torchbearer of Indian women’s tennis, and her husband and star Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik have deepened their ties with the UAE after receiving the country’s golden visa.
The couple have been living in Dubai since marrying in 2010.
The golden visa grants the recipient a 10-year residency in the UAE, and is awarded as a recognition of a person’s contribution to society, including science, culture, business and sport.
“Dubai is extremely close to me and my family. This is my second home and we are looking forward to spending more time here,” Sania told news agency ANI.
“Being one of the few selected citizen from India, this brings an absolute honour to us. This will also give us an opportunity to work on our tennis and cricket sports academy which we are aiming to open in the next couple of months.”
Emirati publication The Nation reports that it was in 2019 that the UAE established a new system for long-term residence visas. The scheme was introduced to attract investors, but has since been expanded to also acknowledge the contributions made by various members of society from the Arab world and beyond.
Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt are the other two Indian celebrities to receive the visa.
