'No Visa Ban for Pakistani Citizens'

Manama: The UAE has not banned visas for Pakistani citizens, a Pakistani daily reported on Thursday. According to a senior official at the UAE Embassy in Pakistan, “There’s no ban on visas for Pakistani citizens,” the newspaper said.

The clarification follows remarks by Salman Chaudhry, Pakistan’s additional interior secretary, who told a Senate committee that the UAE has been issuing visas only to diplomatic and official (blue) passport holder.

The UAE’s newly appointed Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Salem M. Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi, met with Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb tin Islamabad yesterday.

Pakistan and the UAE share strong diplomatic ties, with Pakistan hosting the second-largest expatriate community in the UAE. Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan tweeted: “A newly opened UAE visa centre in Pakistan is now processing nearly 500 visas daily.”

The Ambassador highlighted key UAE visa reforms for Pakistanis, including online visa applications, e-visas without passport stamping, and faster system-to-system processing.

Meanwhile Pakistan and the UAE have agreed to strengthen cooperation to explore new opportunities in trade, investment, finance, technology, defense, and cultural exchanges.