Freelance permit to cost Dh7,500

Dubai’s Gofreelance permit holders will be able to work in media and education sectors at reduced cost

Residents can now obtain a new freelance package called Gofreelance for an annual fee of Dh7,500 in media and education sectors in Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Park.

Residents can now obtain a new freelance job package for an annual fee of Dh7,500 in media and education sectors with Dubai Media City (DMC) and Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP), officials announced at a media conference yesterday.

The package, called Gofreelance, was launched by TECOM Group, a member of Dubai Holding, in partnership with Dubai Creative Clusters Authority.

The annual fee includes the Freelancer Permit and access to the Business Centre. If a candidate requires a visa, such as if he/she is a non-resident who wants to freelance here, relevant “assistance” will be provided. However, the visa cost will be charged separately as per the normal associated fees.

Officials from Dubai Media City outlined the benefits of the new package, which offers a freelance permit at a significantly lower fee (around half) than previous freelance packages in Dubai.

Freelancing advantage

Residents who hold jobs can obtain the Freelance Permit provided they have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer or sponsor, supplementing their salary. Companies, meanwhile, will be able to commission freelancers for needs such as a one-off project, contractbased work, outsourcing or assistance with extra workload. The permit is also open to candidates who are on their parent’s or husband’s visa.

Activities

At the moment, the permit is restricted to certain “activities” in two Education and Media sectors. For example, in Education, there are five activities, including Education Adviser, Researcher, and eLearning Adviser. The Media category, on the other hand, has almost 50 activities, including Actor, Animator, Cameraman, Journalist, and others.

Majed Al Suwaidi, managing director of Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the media conference that the new package comes in line with expectations of a changing professional market.

Al Suwaidi said there are a lot of people ‘freelancing’ without the right [legal] structure. “What we’re saying is that the right structure is better for you – and it doesn’t cost you that much”.