Bollywood star Ranveer Singh on UAE golden visa: 'My family and I are honoured'

The acclaimed actor recently starred in a promotional video for Abu Dhabi's Yas Island

Bollywood star Ranveer Singh with Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, chief executive of Miral, who presented the actor with his UAE golden visa. Photo: Yas Island

Days after signing on as the brand ambassador for Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, Bollywood star Ranveer Singh has been granted the UAE's golden visa. The recognition will give the actor a 10-year residency in the country as well as a host of other benefits.

Singh, who starred in a promotional video for Yas Island that was released last week, joins a number of global celebrities, including fellow Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Lebanese pop stars Elissa and Najwa Karam, who have received the visa.

“My family and I are honoured to receive our UAE golden visas right here on Yas Island and I would like to thank the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism for this privilege. As the island’s brand ambassador, I hope to spread its message of fun and excitement while highlighting Abu Dhabi as a must-visit destination," the actor said.

Singh was presented his visa by Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, chief executive of master developer Miral, the group behind Yas Island's development, at the Yas Marina Circuit's headquarters.

The award-winning actor and his wife, Deepika Padukone, are currently among the highest-paid actors in India. Singh, 36, who made his Bollywood debut with the 2010 film Band Baaja Baaraat, is known for his versatility and infectious energy, having starred in a number of blockbuster films, many featuring Padukone, including Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018). His acclaimed 2019 film, Gully Boy, in which he played a rapper from the streets of Mumbai, was India's official entry to the Oscars that year.

Singh and Padukone, who married in 2018, were in Dubai in December to promote their latest film, the cricket drama 83.

The Yas Island promotional video, with the tagline "Yas hai khaas", meaning Yas is special in Hindi, features Singh dancing around the island's many attractions, from Yas Links to Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld as well as Clymb Abu Dhabi. Launched last week, the video has already been viewed more than nine million times on YouTube.

Launched in 2019, the UAE's golden visa government scheme provides people with an opportunity to set out longer personal and professional plans and enables the country to attract, retain and reward talent as part of its plans to boost the economy.

Among those eligible are investors, entrepreneurs, high-achieving students, people with special talents and researchers in various fields of science and knowledge. Frontline medical workers and celebrities have also been recipients of the golden visa.

Stars who've received their UAE golden visa — in pictures: