Dubai: The UAE on Sunday approved the issuance of a 10-year golden visa for more professionals, including PhD holders, physicians, engineers as well as graduates from certain universities, in a bid to keep the talented people and great minds in the Gulf country and help in nation-building.

Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum made the major announcement in a series of tweets.

Brothers and sisters, we approved today a decision to grant the 10-year golden visa to residents in the following categories: all PHD holders, all physicians, engineers in the fields of computer engineering, electronics, programming, electricity and biotechnology, graduates from UAE accredited universities who scored Grade Point Average, GPA, of 3.8 and above, he said in a tweet.

The golden visa will also be granted to holders of specialized degrees in artificial intelligence, big data, or epidemiology and virology in addition to the UAE high school top graduates along with their families, the Gulf News reported.

This is the first batch and it will be followed by other categories. We want talented people and great minds to stay in the UAE and join us in the process of development and achievements, Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

The decision, which was approved by the UAE Cabinet, aims to attract and retain experts and talented professionals from various fields and scientific disciplines, the report said.

The changes will take place from December 1, 2020.

In addition to the dynamic lifestyle and safety that are considered main characteristics of life in the UAE, Golden Residency holders and their families will be offered a 10-year residency visa.

The new Golden Residency categories expand the program to further encourage innovation, creativity, and applied research, adding to the appeal of a career in the Emirates for the world's brightest minds, the report added.

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ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.

“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.

The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.

Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.