Dubai has abolished the minimum property value requirement for obtaining a two-year investor residency visa. Previously, buyers were required to own a property worth at least 750,000 dirhams, or approximately $204,000.
The new rules apply to the two-year renewable visa for property owners, which is processed through the Dubai Land Department and its Cube Centre. Now, an individual owner can apply for such a residence visa regardless of the property’s value, provided the property is registered in their name and all other documentation requirements are met.
For joint ownership, the minimum threshold remains, but in a different form: each co-owner must hold a share worth at least 400,000 dirhams. This means that the relaxation is primarily intended for buyers who register the property under a single owner.
Removing the threshold makes residency status more accessible to buyers of small apartments and studios, which previously might not have met the minimum value requirement. For Dubai’s real estate market, this could boost demand in more affordable segments, especially among foreigners who view a purchase not only as an investment but also as a way to obtain legal residency status in the UAE.
However, this change does not apply to the 10-year Golden Visa. For the “Golden Visa” obtained through real estate, a separate investment threshold remains in effect—typically starting at 2 million dirhams. Therefore, the new measure specifically broadens the entry point into the residency market but does not replace long-term programs for major investors.
For buyers, what remains important is not only the fact of owning real estate, but also the legal soundness of the property, registration of ownership rights, compliance with Dubai Land Department requirements, and the willingness to cover associated costs for visa processing, Emirates ID, and health insurance.
Dubai remains one of the most active real estate markets in the Middle East. Demand is supported by the influx of foreign residents, growth in business activity, the UAE’s tax appeal, and its developed infrastructure. The removal of the minimum threshold for a two-year residency permit may further expand the pool of buyers for whom purchasing real estate in the emirate becomes a way not only to invest but also to establish a foothold in the country.
According to estimates by experts at the Ukrainian Center for Steel Construction, the market for steel structures in 2025 reached 108,000 tons.
Imports of steel structures increased 2.4-fold, while the domestic market showed a 3% increase.
Steel structures were actively used in projects to restore and protect critical infrastructure facilities, as well as in the construction of industrial and logistics buildings.
According to industry experts’ forecasts, the steel structure market could grow by approximately 9% in 2026 and reach about 117,000 tons by year-end.
“Following a sharp drop in demand for steel structures in 2022, we are seeing steady annual growth in consumption of 15–20%. However, we are still far from the 2021 figures, when the steel structures market reached 154,000 tons,” said Andriy Ozeychuk, director of the construction company Rauta and chairman of the board of directors of the Ukrainian Steel Construction Association (UCSA).
According to the results for 2025, the Naftogaz Group reported consolidated profits of UAH 5.83 billion, which is approximately six times less than the figure for 2024, as stated in Government Order No. 400-r dated April 29, 2026, published on the Government Portal.
“To approve consolidated profit in the amount of UAH 5,830,390,868 in accordance with the company’s consolidated financial statements for 2025, of which the profit attributable to the company’s shareholder amounts to UAH 3,232,964,605,” the decree states.
According to the order, 30% of the profit, amounting to UAH 969.9 million, will be allocated for dividend payments to the state budget, while 70% of the profit, amounting to UAH 2.26 billion, will be used to fulfill the company’s statutory objectives.
In addition, net profit in the amount of UAH 1.65 billion was approved in accordance with the company’s separate financial statements for 2025, of which 5%, amounting to UAH 82.3 million, is to be allocated to reserve capital.
It is noted that the government has taken note of the report by the independent auditor, KPMG Audit.
As reported, based on the results for 2024, the Naftogaz Group generated nearly UAH 38 billion in net consolidated profit, which is UAH 15 billion, or 64%, more than in 2023.
According to the company, all key business segments demonstrated growth: gas production, transportation and storage, sales and distribution, and the sale of electricity and heat.
At the same time, the group’s gross profit for 2024 rose to 89.1 billion UAH compared to 48.5 billion UAH in 2023. At the same time, operating profit for 2024 amounted to 51.1 billion UAH, which is nearly 13.3 billion UAH, or 32%, higher than the corresponding figure for the previous period.
Naftogaz’s financial results were confirmed by an independent international audit conducted by KPMG.
The leader has changed in 6 regions
OpenDataBot has updated its annual ranking of Ukraine’s largest employers in each region, based on an analysis of financial reporting data from Ukrainian companies. The leader has changed in 6 regions, and 8 companies from the ranking have been included in the OpenDataBot Index 2026.
The largest employer in the capital and in Ukraine as a whole remains, as usual, Ukrzaliznytsia — 169,952 employees. Over the year, the number of employees there decreased by 4.9%. Ukrzaliznytsia is also among the top ten companies in the OpenDataBot Index in the transport and logistics sector.
The leader in the Dnipropetrovsk region remains ATB-Market—46,649 employees. Over the past year, the company’s workforce increased by 1.2%. The company belongs to the ATB Group and is also included in the list of businesses featured in the OpenDataBot Index in the retail sector. It is worth noting that ATB is one of the country’s largest employers overall.
In Poltava Oblast, Aurora (Vygidna Pokupka LLC) leads the way with 14,590 employees. Over the past year, the company managed to increase its workforce by 16%. In addition, Aurora is among the top ten businesses in the OpenDataBot Index for the retail sector.
Zaporizhstal, which is also part of the OpenDataBot Index, became the leader in the Zaporizhzhia region. The company employs 8,039 people. Compared to 2024, the workforce decreased by 6.3%. The company is also part of Rinat Akhmetov’s financial and industrial SCM Group.
Volyn is in the spotlight this year—WOG (Petrol Contract LLC), part of the Continium Group, has 5,490 employees and showed record workforce growth of nearly 1.7 times. In response to a request from OpenDataBot, WOG explained that the company underwent a consolidation of legal entities last year. Therefore, the increase in headcount is related more to organizational changes than to a real increase in the number of jobs. This allowed the company to become the new regional leader, displacing Kromberg & Schubert Ukraine Ltd. WOG also made it into this year’s OpenDataBot Index in the retail sector.
In the Kyiv region, the largest employer is the Fora chain of stores, part of the Fozzy Group, with 9,462 employees. Over the year, the workforce grew by 3%. The company also made it onto this year’s OpenDataBot Index in the retail sector.
Vinnytsia Poultry Farm leads in Vinnytsia Oblast and employs 6,636 people: +11.3% over the year. The company is part of the MHP Group and also took first place in the agriculture sector in this year’s OpenDataBot Index.
In Lviv Oblast, the largest employer is OKKO-Drive with 6,579 employees. The number of employees decreased by 2% over the year. The company is part of the OKKO Group.
In Zhytomyr Oblast, another participant in the OpenDataBot Index leads the way—the UPG gas station chain (Ukrpaletsystem LLC)—with 4,154 employees. Over the year, the company increased its workforce by 8%. The company is part of the UPG Group.
In the Kirovohrad region, the largest employer this year is the Faino Market chain (Veresen Plus LLC), which has 3,569 employees. Over the year, the number of employees increased by 7%.
The Ternopil region is represented by the cable network factory Se Bordnetz-Ukraine with 3,215 employees: -9% over the year.
Flextronics TZOV is the largest employer in Zakarpattia. The company’s workforce decreased by 6% over the year to 2,408 employees.
In the Chernivtsi region, the Taystra Group retail chain has been the leader for the second year in a row, with 1,163 employees. At the same time, the number of employees decreased by 6% over the year.
In the Kherson region, Taurt Medical (Medicgroup LLC) is the leader this year. The company employs 426 people: a 6% decrease over the year.
In 10 regions of Ukraine, the largest employers are companies that supply the country with electricity:
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has signed a revised version of the citizenship law that significantly tightens naturalization requirements for foreigners. The law will take effect upon publication in the Diário da República.
The main change concerns the length of residence required to apply for citizenship. For most foreigners, it increases from 5 to 10 years, and for citizens of EU countries and Portuguese-speaking Commonwealth states, to 7 years. Additionally, the period will be calculated not from the date of application for a residence permit, but from the date the first residence card is issued.
The reform also introduces additional integration requirements. Applicants for citizenship will need to demonstrate proficiency in Portuguese at the A2 level, pass a test on culture, history, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens, confirm their commitment to democratic principles, prove sufficient means of support, and demonstrate no serious criminal convictions.
A separate part of the reform, concerning the possibility of losing citizenship in the event of serious crimes, remains under review by the Constitutional Court. Previously, the court had already ruled unconstitutional a number of provisions related to automatic denial of citizenship and vague grounds for its revocation.
For foreigners who viewed Portugal as one of the fastest EU jurisdictions for obtaining citizenship through legal residence, the reform means a significant lengthening of the planning horizon. This could have a particularly noticeable impact on residence permit holders and investors under the Golden Visa program: the residency program itself, according to available data, remains unchanged, but the path from residency to citizenship is becoming longer.
The tightening of rules comes amid rapid growth in the number of foreigners in Portugal. According to AIMA, as of the end of 2024, more than 1.5 million foreign citizens resided in the country, which is roughly double the number from three years earlier. The largest group consists of Brazilians—more than 450,000 legal residents.
According to available estimates, the largest groups of foreigners in Portugal also include citizens of India, Angola, Ukraine, Cape Verde, Nepal, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Guinea-Bissau, and Pakistan. According to data cited from preliminary AIMA statistics for 2024, the number of Ukrainians in Portugal was estimated at approximately 79,200 people. Separately, regarding temporary protection, according to the Prague Process, as of February 2025, approximately 56,700 Ukrainians with temporary protection status were residing in Portugal. According to some estimates, the number of Ukrainians in Portugal could reach 300,000.
Most Swiss are willing to support an initiative to cap the country’s population at 10 million by 2050, a move that could impact Switzerland’s immigration policy, labor market, and real estate market, according to local media reports.
According to a poll conducted six weeks before the nationwide referendum scheduled for June 14, 2026, 52% of respondents supported the initiative or were inclined to support it, 46% opposed it, and another 2% were undecided. Over 16,000 people participated in the survey.
The “No to 10 Million in Switzerland!” initiative is being promoted by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). It stipulates that the country’s permanent population should not exceed 10 million people by 2050. Upon reaching an interim threshold of 9.5 million people, the government would be required to implement additional measures to limit immigration, including potentially tightening quotas on work visas and asylum applications. Reuters notes that the proposal also calls for Switzerland to withdraw from the EU agreement on the free movement of citizens.
Supporters of the initiative link the need to limit population growth to the strain on infrastructure, housing shortages, overcrowded public transportation, and rising costs for social and medical services.
The Federal Council and both chambers of parliament recommend rejecting the initiative. Authorities warn that strict restrictions on migration could create legal uncertainty, complicate relations with the European Union, and exacerbate the labor shortage in the economy. Reuters also notes that Switzerland’s population already exceeds 9 million, and the share of foreigners stood at over 27% in 2024.
For the real estate market, the possible adoption of the initiative could have a dual effect. On the one hand, limiting population growth could theoretically reduce long-term pressure on housing demand. On the other hand, stricter immigration rules and a potential reevaluation of relations with the EU could affect Switzerland’s investment appeal, the availability of labor in the construction and service sectors, as well as demand from foreign residents.
According to data from the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration, as of the end of 2024, the largest groups of the country’s permanent foreign population were citizens of Italy—346,981 thousand people, Germany—332,132 thousand, Portugal—263,028, and France—173,353. In total, 1.579 million citizens of EU/EFTA countries and 789,735 citizens of third countries resided permanently in Switzerland.
Ukrainians occupy a distinct place in Switzerland’s migration statistics following the outbreak of full-scale war. According to SEM data, in 2024 the number of individuals with active S protection status rose to 68,070 compared to 66,083 the previous year. This figure can be used as a rough estimate of the number of Ukrainian refugees in the country, although the actual number of Ukrainians in Switzerland may differ due to people holding other types of residence permits.
