The UAE ‘has not changed visa rules’

The UAE has not changed its visa rules for south Asian visitors, according to one official.

A high-ranking United Arab Emirates (UAE) official has denied claims that the Gulf state was about to change its visa regulations.

Reports surfaced that the UAE was set to make it harder for south Asian low-income visitors to obtain the permits, yet General Nasser al-Menhali, assistant undersecretary for Nationality and Residency at the interior ministry said no changes have been made to the existing law for visas.

“Any new procedures would be announced to the public beforehand and be posted on the Ministry’s website or released to the media by the Security Information Department,” said the general.

The initial reports had suggested that pipe fitters, masons, farmers, drivers, tailors and cleaners from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines would have trouble obtaining visas, but this seems not to be the case.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi have millions of south Asian workers and they have helped the states develop a booming tourism industry.

Written by Ruth Norris

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