For discerning investors or those seeking a reliable backup plan, the allure of a “golden visa” is hard to ignore. Various East Asian nations are rolling out long-term residency programs designed to offer a second home for expatriates. These initiatives are often accessible through substantial investments or specialized skill sets, aiming to draw in capital, talent, and innovation. The landscape is evolving rapidly, making it essential to stay informed about each country's offerings.

Rising Competition for Global Talent

As countries vie for international investors, the competition intensifies. Vietnam, for instance, has introduced a five-year “talent visa” with a streamlined renewal process, while Malaysia boasts a golden visa that can last up to 20 years for qualified applicants. Below, we delve into the specific programs offered by each country, based on insights from consultancy firms like Henley & Partners and Harvey Law Group.

1. Hong Kong: Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES)

Hong Kong's CIES has been revitalized to attract high-net-worth individuals, reflecting the city’s continued appeal as a financial hub.

• Investment Requirement: A minimum of HK$30 million (approximately $3.86 million) in approved assets, which can include real estate, stocks, or business investments.
• Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be at least 18 years old, possess a clean immigration record, and demonstrate full ownership of the invested assets. Proof of financial stability and a viable business plan may also be required.
• Residency Pathway: Successful applicants receive temporary residency, with the opportunity to apply for permanent residency after seven years. Benefits include access to Hong Kong's robust healthcare system and educational institutions.

2. Malaysia: Two Residency Programs

Malaysia offers two primary pathways for residency through investment, each catering to different demographics and investment capacities.

Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H)

• Financial Requirements: Applicants under 50 must deposit MYR 300,000 (about $68,000) in a fixed deposit account, while those over 50 must deposit MYR 150,000 (approximately $34,000).
• Eligibility Age: Minimum age of 35.
• Residency Duration: A 10-year multiple-entry visa, requiring at least 90 days of stay each year. This program also allows for family members to join, making it an attractive option for families.
• Additional Benefits: The program offers tax incentives, such as exemption from income tax on overseas income.

Premium Visa Programme (PVIP)

• Investment Requirement: A minimum investment of RM 1 million (around $240,000) in approved sectors.
• Age Restrictions: None, making it accessible to younger investors.
• Residency Duration: A 20-year multiple-entry visa issued in five-year increments, with no minimum stay requirement, offering flexibility for frequent travelers.
• Benefits: Investors can also enjoy Malaysia's rich culture, diverse cuisine, and beautiful landscapes.

3. Singapore: Global Investor Programme (GIP)

Singapore’s GIP provides a pathway to permanent residency for qualified global investors, reinforcing its position as a global business center.

• Investment Options:
  • Option A: Invest S$10 million (about $7.78 million) in a new or existing business in Singapore, contributing to the local economy.
  • Option B: Invest S$25 million in a fund approved by the Singapore Economic Development Board, supporting innovative startups.
• Eligibility: Applicants must possess a robust business track record, with prior entrepreneurial experience being highly advantageous.
• Residency Pathway: Permanent residency is granted upon approval, with eligibility for citizenship after two years. Note that Singapore prohibits dual citizenship, which may be a consideration for potential applicants.

4. Thailand: Elite Visa Program

Thailand’s Elite Visa offers attractive long-term residency options, appealing not only to investors but also to retirees and expatriates.

• Membership Fee: Starting from THB 650,000 ($19,300) for a five-year visa, with options for longer durations available.
• Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must hold a foreign passport, have no criminal record, and meet standard immigration requirements.
• Benefits: Membership includes VIP airport services, government concierge assistance, and exclusive access to events, making it a premium choice for those seeking a luxurious lifestyle in Thailand. The program also promotes cultural integration and networking opportunities.

5. Vietnam: New Visa Schemes

Vietnam is enhancing its appeal to investors and skilled professionals with new visa offerings aimed at driving economic growth.

• Investor Visa: Valid for 10 years, offering a pathway to permanent residency after five years. This visa is designed for individuals willing to invest in sectors prioritized by the Vietnamese government.
• Talent Visa: Targeting high-skilled professionals in technology, finance, and healthcare, valid for five years, with an easy renewal process to encourage talent retention.
• Application Process: Expected to be entirely online, streamlining the experience and eliminating the need for embassy appointments. This modernization reflects Vietnam's commitment to attracting global talent.

6. Philippines: Diverse Golden Visa Options

The Philippines offers several residency options catering to foreign investors and retirees, making it an attractive destination in Southeast Asia.

Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV)

• Investment Requirement: A minimum investment of $75,000 in Philippine corporations, ideally in sectors that support national development.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be 21 or older, healthy, and free of criminal records. Family members can also be included in the application.
• Residency Benefits: Offers indefinite residency for the investor and their family, with no minimum stay required. Investors benefit from tax incentives on Philippine income only and enjoy duty-free import of goods.

Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)

• Eligibility: Available for retirees aged 50 and above, with entry starting from a deposit of $10,000, which may vary based on pension income.
• Benefits: Lifetime stay, work and study rights, access to health insurance, and the ability to live anywhere in the Philippines. This visa provides a straightforward pathway for retirees seeking a serene lifestyle.

Each of these golden visa programs is designed with distinct features to appeal to various profiles, from investors to retirees. They provide flexible paths to residency, allowing individuals to experience the rich cultures, economic opportunities, and stunning landscapes of East Asia. However, applicants should be prepared to spend a certain amount of time in the host country to maintain their status. With the right investment and commitment, your dream of global living in East Asia could become a reality, offering not just a home, but a vibrant new lifestyle.

In a bold leap toward environmental leadership, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RAK Airport) is integrating cutting-edge sustainable technologies as part of a major terminal expansion—becoming the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to adopt DYNAES’s revolutionary thermodynamic energy efficiency system.

This milestone initiative is more than a technical upgrade; it’s a statement of intent. With Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism and economy rapidly accelerating, airport authorities are ensuring that growth goes hand-in-hand with sustainability. The move reflects a broader commitment to reducing environmental impact while meeting rising air travel demands.

Cooling Innovation, Warming Planet's Hope

Recognizing that air conditioning systems account for some of the highest energy consumption in airport operations, RAK Airport—guided by consultants ARTELIA Airport and STG Contracting—has turned to DYNAES’s breakthrough technology, first unveiled at Dubai COP28. The system’s installation in the terminal extension marks a regional first.

“Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Civil Aviation, highlighted the vision behind the move: “RAK Airport joined the Retrofit Energy Program in 2023. Now, we are proving how even older infrastructure can lead the way in sustainability.”

Developed alongside leading scientific institutions including Mines Paris PSL, TÜV, and CNRS, DYNAES’s patented system enhances thermal performance without increasing compressor power or requiring complex electronics. It works by optimizing the interaction between refrigerants and lubricating oils in air conditioning systems—delivering improved reliability, maintainability, and energy savings.

Professor Assaad Zoughaib of Mines Paris PSL called the innovation “a major scientific breakthrough in the field of thermodynamics.”

Big Impact, Low Footprint

The environmental potential is massive. If deployed globally, DYNAES’s system could slash carbon emissions by up to 7%—equivalent to the total emissions from the internet and air traffic combined. At RAK Airport, the technology is supported by seasoned partners Airchal and Takyeef Factory, ensuring a strong foundation for its regional rollout.

This technology boost also aligns with RAK’s broader goals of economic diversification and sustainable development. With a 28% rise in passenger traffic last year, the airport is rapidly scaling up. Recent route expansions include Air Arabia’s new service to Uzbekistan and planned connections to Kenya, Georgia, and India via IndiGo.

A Model for Green Growth

RAK Airport’s ambitious blend of infrastructure growth and environmental responsibility is setting a new regional standard for sustainable aviation. As the airport continues to grow as a vital hub for tourism and trade, it is doing so with an eye firmly fixed on the future—one where economic and environmental priorities go hand in hand.

Ras Al Khaimah may be a smaller Emirate, but with RAK Airport leading the charge in clean technology, it’s making a big impact in global sustainability conversations.

Etihad Airways has officially become a participant in IATA’s Turbulence Aware initiative, bringing its entire fleet-comprising nearly 100 Airbus and Boeing aircraft-into the programme. By doing so, every Etihad flight will now automatically feed anonymized, real-time turbulence data into a global network.

This development is set to further enrich the world’s largest database on in-flight turbulence, empowering pilots and dispatchers to make better-informed decisions about flight routes, thereby enhancing safety, comfort, and operational efficiency for all passengers and crew.

The Turbulence Aware programme is an aviation industry-wide collaboration that aggregates and shares precise, up-to-the-minute turbulence readings-known as Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR) data-from aircraft operated by participating airlines, business aviation, and ground-based systems.

All the information is processed within seconds, ensuring that pilots, dispatchers, and operational teams can access the latest turbulence updates through their own flight planning tools, third-party apps, or IATA’s MET Viewer, a web-based interface that visualizes turbulence in vivid detail, including intensity, location, altitude, and relevant weather patterns.

The advantages of this programme are far-reaching. By providing objective, real-time turbulence data, Turbulence Aware helps flight crews steer clear of hazardous weather, uphold the highest safety standards, and reduce the likelihood of injuries among passengers and crew-an area of concern that remains a leading cause of in-flight incidents.

Furthermore, optimized routing supported by the programme leads to significant fuel savings, lower CO₂ emissions, and reduced operational expenses. The predictive power of the data also aids in minimizing aircraft wear and tear, which in turn helps decrease maintenance costs and increase fleet reliability.

With more than 2,600 aircraft now actively contributing to the data pool-and over 54 million turbulence reports generated in 2024 alone-the programme’s reach and data quality are rapidly expanding as additional airlines join the effort. Etihad’s involvement is especially significant, as it extends the programme’s coverage across the Middle East and all five continents it serves.

This ensures that pilots and dispatchers worldwide have access to the most accurate and timely turbulence information, supporting safer, smoother, and more efficient flights for everyone.

Captain Majed Al Marzouqi, Interim Chief Operations and Guest Officer at Etihad Airways, highlighted the airline’s strong commitment to safety, stating, “Having access to real-time, accurate turbulence data allows our pilots to make better decisions, resulting in smoother and more comfortable journeys for our guests.”

Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA Regional Vice-President for Africa and the Middle East, also welcomed Etihad’s participation, emphasizing that timely, reliable turbulence data is key to improving flight safety and enhancing the overall passenger experience.

In essence, by joining the Turbulence Aware programme, Etihad Airways is not only reaffirming its dedication to safety and operational excellence but also playing a vital role in a global, collaborative movement to make air travel safer, more comfortable, and more sustainable for everyone involved.

Qatar Airways, acclaimed as the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax in 2024, made a powerful statement on the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Dubai 2025, unveiling a suite of industry-leading digital and experiential innovations designed to redefine the future of air travel. At the heart of the airline’s showcase was the debut of Sama, the world’s first AI-powered digital human cabin crew, now with advanced Arabic-speaking capabilities.

Sama, whose name means ‘sky’ in Arabic, is powered by UneeQ-a New Zealand-based leader in intelligent digital human interfaces-and is designed to engage with passengers in both Arabic dialects and Modern Standard Arabic, offering a uniquely personalized and culturally attuned travel experience.

Sama’s new role extends beyond ATM, as she is now accessible across Qatar Airways’ digital ecosystem, including the award-winning mobile app and the immersive QVerse web platform. Travelers can interact with Sama through voice and chat, receiving real-time assistance with flight bookings, destination recommendations, and personalized itineraries.

Sama’s AI is also emotionally aware, capable of interpreting user moods to suggest the perfect holiday destination, marking a significant leap in the field of emotionally intelligent AI assistants. Beyond the booking process, Sama has become a social media ambassador, engaging a global audience on Instagram (@SamaOnTheMove) with travel tips, behind-the-scenes stories, and insights into the airline’s operations, further humanizing the brand and connecting with digitally native travelers.

Qatar Airways’ ATM stand also introduced The ORCHARD, a hyper-realistic virtual recreation of the iconic indoor garden at Hamad International Airport, allowing visitors to explore and preview the tranquil, nature-inspired environment in immersive VR. This experience is designed to make the unfamiliar feel familiar, setting a new standard for digital engagement in travel.

A major highlight was the Qsuite Next Gen, the latest evolution of Qatar Airways’ award-winning business class. The new suites feature fully customizable Quad and Companion Suites, movable 4K OLED Panasonic Astrova in-flight entertainment screens, increased dining space, taller digitally controlled privacy dividers, ambient lighting, and a dedicated ‘Make My Bed’ button for a 5-star turn-down service.

These innovations are set to debut on the Boeing B777-9 aircraft, offering passengers unprecedented levels of comfort, privacy, and connectivity. Complementing the Qsuite Next Gen was a multi-sensory pod, which brought the suite’s atmosphere to life through visuals, sound, scent, and motion, providing a fully immersive preview of the onboard experience.

Qatar Airways also announced expanded flight frequencies to key destinations, including Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Entebbe, Tokyo Narita, Maputo–Durban, Larnaca, Trabzon, Sharjah, Manchester, Madrid, Lisbon, and London Heathrow for the peak summer season. In parallel, the airline signed new Memoranda of Understanding with Visit Maldives and Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism to boost visitor arrivals and explore new tourism promotion opportunities via Hamad International Airport.

Additionally, the airline revealed that more than half of its Boeing 777 fleet now features Starlink’s high-speed Wi-Fi, with plans to equip all wide-body aircraft by the end of 2025, ensuring seamless connectivity for passengers.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, emphasized the airline’s commitment to innovation and regional relevance: “We are proud to return to ATM with industry innovations that reflect the diversity and spirit of our region. Sama, The ORCHARD in VR, Qsuite Next Gen, and our multi-sensory pod are all part of how Qatar Airways is shaping a future of travel that is not only digital, but also deeply human.”

Visitors can experience these innovations firsthand at Qatar Airways’ stand ME1420, located between Halls 3 and 4 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, until May 1, 2025. Through these advancements, Qatar Airways continues to set new benchmarks in digital transformation, personalized service, and customer engagement, reaffirming its leadership in the global aviation industry.

SalamAir, Oman’s prominent low-cost airline, has introduced a new WhatsApp service designed to enhance the passenger experience by delivering flight tickets and boarding passes directly through the popular messaging app. This convenient feature allows travelers to bypass the traditional hassle of sifting through emails or printing documents, making the check-in process smoother and more efficient.

For a nominal fee of 0.250 OMR per booking, customers who provide their WhatsApp number during reservation will receive automated notifications with their booking confirmation and boarding passes, although the service currently supports only one-way communication from the airline to the passenger.

This innovative move is part of SalamAir’s ongoing digital transformation efforts aimed at offering more flexible and customer-friendly travel solutions. The airline, which operates a fleet of 13 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft and conducts over 80 daily flights, plans to expand its fleet with a new A321neo arriving in early 2025 and an additional 10 Airbus A320s by 2028, supporting its growth strategy aligned with Oman’s Vision 2040.

SalamAir’s leadership, including Chief Commercial Officer Steven Allen, has emphasized the airline’s commitment to leveraging technology to provide travelers with seamless, personalized services.

Alongside the WhatsApp ticketing service, SalamAir has recently introduced other enhancements such as Express Bag and Priority services, further improving the overall travel experience. While the WhatsApp service improves convenience, passengers are responsible for ensuring their devices have adequate connectivity to receive messages.

The airline also maintains strict privacy policies to protect customer data and limits third-party sharing to essential service functions. This latest development reinforces SalamAir’s position as a trusted and innovative carrier in the Gulf region, continuing to prioritize customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Qatar Airways is rapidly advancing its Starlink satellite internet rollout, achieving significant milestones ahead of schedule. As of February 2025, the airline has equipped 30 Boeing 777 aircraft—over 50% of its fleet—with Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet. This progress comes just four months after launching the world’s first Starlink-enabled Boeing 777 flight in October 2024.

Originally planned to take two years, the retrofit process has been optimized to just 9.5 hours per aircraft, allowing installations to be completed overnight without disrupting operations or flight schedules. The entire Boeing 777 fleet is now expected to be fully upgraded by mid-2025, nearly a year ahead of initial projections.

Following the completion of the Boeing 777 upgrades, Qatar Airways will begin outfitting its Airbus A350 fleet with Starlink by summer 2025. The airline operates one of the largest A350 fleets globally, with 58 aircraft (A350-900s and A350-1000s), and plans to complete this phase within an accelerated timeline as well.

Additionally, Qatar Airways has announced plans to extend Starlink installations to its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and other wide-body aircraft by the end of 2025.

The service offers passengers complimentary high-speed internet from gate to gate, enabling seamless streaming, gaming, and work capabilities at cruising altitudes. Qatar Airways Group CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer described Starlink as a "game-changer," emphasizing the airline’s commitment to redefining in-flight connectivity standards.

The installations are being conducted at the airline’s Qatar Airways Technic MRO facility in Doha Hamad International Airport, ensuring adherence to safety and efficiency standards.

Beyond Starlink, Qatar Airways is also enhancing its inflight entertainment systems through a partnership with Thales, establishing a maintenance hub in Doha for quick repairs and support. By the end of 2025, all wide-body aircraft in Qatar Airways’ fleet are expected to feature Starlink connectivity, reinforcing its position as a pioneer in aviation technology and passenger experience innovation.