In the weeks following Donald Trump's election as US president in November 2024, numerous news reports emerged about Americans exploring second passports abroad. Among various global destinations, this trend could position the United Arab Emirates as a country to watch in 2025.

In the wake of the divisive US election, David Regueiro, founder of the Dubai-based residency and citizenship advisory firm RIF Trust, told AL-Monitor that it’s no surprise “polarization” was chosen as Merriam-Webster’s word of the year — a trend that could signal new business opportunities for his firm.

“We are seeing ever-growing American interest in the UAE golden visa,” said Regueiro in early December. “This residency by investment makes for a great plan B.” He doesn’t break down numbers, but so-called golden visas are aimed at a somewhat select crowd: foreigners able and willing to buy real estate or make other sizable investments in return for long-term residency permits. 

Golden visa schemes have emerged across the globe, from Canada to Costa Rica, over the recent decades, spawning an industry built around buying and selling citizenship that’s worth some $25 billion globally, as the BBC reported in 2019. That was also the year that the UAE launched its golden visa program, making it an early mover in the Middle East.