On 12 January 2026 the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) launched the ‘Verified Contributors Programme’, a platform that contracts overseas experts—researchers, designers, translators and policy analysts—to work on short-term foresight projects for Dubai government entities. Applicants submit credentials online and, once vetted, are matched to assignments that can be delivered entirely remotely, with remuneration processed under UAE freelance-permit rules. (m.economictimes.com)
The initiative dovetails with Dubai’s broader strategy to attract knowledge workers without requiring immediate physical relocation, complementing existing virtual-work residency permits and the one-year Remote Work Visa. For employers headquartered in the UAE, it offers a low-friction path to source niche skill sets for strategy sprints or white-paper commissions, while still complying with local tax and intellectual-property regulations. (m.economictimes.com)
![Dubai Future Foundation unveils ‘Verified Contributors’ programme to tap global remote talent]()
Professionals eager to leverage these pathways can simplify their visa and permit applications through VisaHQ, which provides guided online processing for UAE Remote Work Visas, freelance permits and longer-term residency options; full details and a streamlined application interface are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
Legal advisers note that foreign participants who later choose to base themselves in Dubai can convert project contracts into sponsorship for Green or Golden visas provided they meet salary or qualification thresholds—effectively turning the programme into a talent-pipeline tool. In the meantime, deliverables are exchanged digitally, with DFF citing cybersecurity safeguards and IP clauses aligned to UAE federal law. (m.economictimes.com)
HR teams should monitor the scheme as an alternative to traditional consultancy retainer models; finance departments may need to adjust cross-border payment workflows, as contributors can invoice in UAE dirhams or their home currency at the prevailing Central Bank rate.
The initiative dovetails with Dubai’s broader strategy to attract knowledge workers without requiring immediate physical relocation, complementing existing virtual-work residency permits and the one-year Remote Work Visa. For employers headquartered in the UAE, it offers a low-friction path to source niche skill sets for strategy sprints or white-paper commissions, while still complying with local tax and intellectual-property regulations. (m.economictimes.com)
Professionals eager to leverage these pathways can simplify their visa and permit applications through VisaHQ, which provides guided online processing for UAE Remote Work Visas, freelance permits and longer-term residency options; full details and a streamlined application interface are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
Legal advisers note that foreign participants who later choose to base themselves in Dubai can convert project contracts into sponsorship for Green or Golden visas provided they meet salary or qualification thresholds—effectively turning the programme into a talent-pipeline tool. In the meantime, deliverables are exchanged digitally, with DFF citing cybersecurity safeguards and IP clauses aligned to UAE federal law. (m.economictimes.com)
HR teams should monitor the scheme as an alternative to traditional consultancy retainer models; finance departments may need to adjust cross-border payment workflows, as contributors can invoice in UAE dirhams or their home currency at the prevailing Central Bank rate.
