Indian billionaire businessman Dr BR Shetty became the latest to receive the long term 10-year UAE residency visa under the Golden Card scheme. Shetty is the founder and chairman of NMC Healthcare, UAE Exchange, Neopharma and BRS Ventures.
He is now part of a growing group of Indian businessmen who have received the long-term residency visa. The list includes Vasu Shroff, chairman, Regal Group of Companies; Khushi Khatwani, managing director, Khushi Group of companies and Al Nisr Cinema Film; Rizwan Sajan, chairman of Danube.
Three Indians have also received permanent residency under the Golden Card scheme including Yusuff Ali, chairman and managing director of Lulu Group; Firoz Merchant, self-made millionaire and founder of jewellery business Pure Gold; and Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of VPS Healthcare.
Dr Shetty came to the UAE in 1973 and founded the New Medical Centre Health (NMC) in 1975 to make personalized, cost-effective healthcare accessible to all.
NMC is now the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE with over four million patients annually across 45 facilities spread over 12 cities and 8 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Colombia and Brazil.
It is the first healthcare company from the GCC and the first company from Abu Dhabi to be listed on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange and is part of the coveted FTSE 100 Index.
“I came here with a dream and practically nothing in my pocket. My achievements have happened here in the land of the UAE,” said Dr Shetty in a release.
“Thanks to the government policies, ease of running a business, this has been possible. When it comes to infrastructure and logistics of running a business, there is no country in the world that can match the UAE,” he added.