The National, 14 February 2022: The chairman of the Lulu Retail Group has become the first recipient of Bahrain’s new golden visa for foreign nationals.

The UAE-based Yusuff Ali was handed the visa in a ceremony attended by Bahrain’s King Hamad and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad. Lulu, based in Abu Dhabi, is a major employer in the Gulf with more than 50,000 staff.

Under previous rules, Bahrain residents could only get a renewable visa tied to their employment status.

A golden visa allows them to extend the visa for an indefinite period and provide a residence permit for close family members.

To qualify, a person must have lived in Bahrain for at least five years and earn an average salary of at least 2,000 Bahraini dinars ($5,306) a month.

Retirees, talented people who fit certain criteria and those who own real estate above a certain value can also apply. There are 11 Lulu stores across Bahrain,

The Golden Residence Permit decision Bahrain Decision No. 20/2022 has been issued on granting entry visas and golden residence permits to foreigners.

Under Article 8 of Bahrain Decision No. 20/2022 the permit can be cancelled if the holder can not prove that they stayed in the country for 90 days within a year, if the continuation of their stay in the country could cause harm to security, public order, or national interests, or if it is proven that they have obtained the residence permit based on false information or incorrect documents, and if they have violated any of the provisions related to the Foreigners Law 1965.

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