The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security has announced that it has granted Golden Visas to excelling students graduating from Emirati high schools and universities in 2023.

Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director General of the Authority, congratulated the graduates on their achievements.

In a similar move last year, Dubai's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, met top-performing high school pupils and issued directives to offer them financial rewards and scholarships for prestigious universities. He met the high achievers at Emirates Towers and encouraged them to continue to excel.

Announced by Sheikh Hamdan in early 2022, the plan aimed to recognise and reward top Dubai pupils. Emirati pupils can obtain scholarships within and outside the country at the most prestigious international universities, and expatriates get financial aid for international university branches in free zones and a priority issuance of Golden Visas.

The pupils, who graduated from their respective curriculum during the academic year 2021-22, were drawn from public and private schools and various curricula.

The system is inspired by the gesture of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to appreciate exceptional high school students in the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed makes it a point to personally call high school toppers every year. In fact, earlier this week, the UAE Vice-President called the UAE’s top-scoring high school student, Yasmin Mahmoud Abdullah Mohammed Ali, who topped the pan-UAE public exams held at the end of the 2022-23 academic term, to congratulate her on her achievement. The Dubai Ruler took to Twitter on Sunday to post an audio clip of the phone conversation he had with the Emirati student.