UAE visa easing

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The recent announcement by the UAE that Pakistani citizens can now obtain five-year multiple-entry tourist visas marks a significant step forward in strengthening the ties between the two nations. Under the new rules, Pakistanis getting long-term visas will also no longer need sponsors, which had been an inconvenience for many tourist visa applicants.

The policy change comes after Pakistan put into place measures to weed out people intent on traveling to the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries for the purpose of begging. On a related note, the UAE government has made it clear that it did not approve of the social media activities of several Pakistanis. While the UAE did not officially stop issuing visas, recent reports suggest that while work visas were unaffected, there had been a dramatic slowdown in the issuance of tourist visas, and also more rejections.

The UAE is one of the preferred foreign destinations for Pakistanis, not only because of its status as the closest developed country in the wider region, but also because of the relatively high level of economic integration with the country.

In fact, millions of Pakistanis travel to the Emirates every year to meet relatives who live and work in the country. Allowing five-year visas will enable families to visit and maintain connections without the ongoing stress of applying for short-term visas, thereby enhancing the experience of those wishing to travel for tourism or to reunite with friends and family.

Hopefully, Islamabad can ensure that its new policies vis-a-vis Pakistanis traveling abroad succeed in filtering out the bad apples that had brought disrepute to the country; and that Saudi Arabia and others that had expressed concerns similar to the UAE over the conduct of certain Pakistanis can also be placated to the point where they are willing to not only return to the status quo, but ease their visa regimes to allow prospective tourists to travel more easily and freely.