Is there an unspoken UAE visa ban on Pakistan? Emirati official responds

ISLAMABAD: A senior Interior Ministry official told lawmakers on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has effectively stopped issuing most visa categories to Pakistani citizens.

According to a news report by Dawn, Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry briefed the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights that the UAE is currently granting visas only to those holding blue or diplomatic passports. He said that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE had “come close to imposing a ban on the Pakistani passport,” cautioning that any such move would be difficult to reverse.

Committee chair Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri confirmed Chaudhry’s remarks, saying the restrictions stem from concerns about some travelers becoming involved in criminal activity. She noted that only a handful of visas had been approved in recent weeks, and that too “with considerable difficulty.”

UAE ENVOY OUTLINES NEW VISA FACILITATION STEPS

Despite these reports, the UAE diplomats insist that there is no formal ban is in place. Yesterday, UAE Ambassador Salem M. Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi also held a meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad. Later the Finance Ministry said that “major visa facilitation reforms” were discussed, including online submissions, e-visas without physical passport stamping, and faster system integrations between the two countries.

Moreover, the UAE said that, nearly 500 visa applications are now being processed daily at a newly established UAE Visa Centre in Pakistan. Ambassador Al Zaabi also stressed expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and cultural exchanges, praising the contributions of the Pakistani diaspora in the UAE.

UAE VISAS ARE CAUSING CONCERNS FOR MONTHS NOW

Pakistani travelers have faced visa complications repeatedly this year. In July, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi raised the issue with UAE authorities following a spike in visa rejections. Emirati Interior Minister Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan reportedly assured him of support in speeding up approvals.

Earlier, in April, then-UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi had announced the rollout of five-year visas for Pakistanis, saying previous issues had been resolved. But months before that, in January, the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis had been informed that certain visa categories appeared to be “unofficially suspended,” amid concerns that some visitors entered the UAE on tourist visas and turned to begging.