Visa-Free Travel to UAE for Pakistani Government Passport Holders

In an important diplomatic breakthrough, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially announced visa-free entry for a special group of Pakistani citizens — those holding diplomatic and official passports. This move is part of a broader effort to improve ties between the two countries.

The decision was made public during the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting, which took place after a long gap of ten years. The resumption of these high-level talks shows that both nations are serious about rebuilding and strengthening their relationship. The main focus of the meeting was on boosting economic ties, improving trade relations, and working together on strategic goals.

New Agreements to Boost Trade, Education, and Investment

During the discussions, both sides signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). These agreements aim to increase cooperation in many important areas such as:

• Trade and Finance
• Healthcare and Education
• Energy Projects
• Technology and Investment Opportunities

One of the major results of the meeting was the creation of a Joint Task Force. This special team will work on making visa processes easier, improving investment policies, and encouraging more business between the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called the meeting “productive” and said it showed a shared desire to take the Pakistan-UAE relationship to a higher level. He also emphasized that both nations want to explore modern sectors like artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital economy. By working together in these fields, they hope to create new job opportunities and open doors for technological development.

UAE’s Stricter Immigration Policy: A Background

This visa-free announcement comes at a time when the UAE has recently taken a much tougher stance on immigration — especially for Pakistani travelers.

In the past year alone, the UAE rejected over 50,000 visa applications from Pakistan due to strict checks on immigration violations. Many of these rejections were linked to illegal activities such as:

• Street begging
• Overstaying visas
• Working without legal permits

Because of these issues, the UAE made it mandatory for Pakistani citizens to provide a police character certificate when applying for a visa. This was a major policy shift to ensure better security and law enforcement.

In the last 16 months, over 10,000 Pakistanis were deported from the UAE. This number included:

• 4,740 former prisoners
• 5,800 individuals involved in criminal cases

These figures show how serious the UAE is about enforcing its immigration rules and maintaining public order.

Even though this visa-free access is a great step, it’s important to note that it currently applies only to those with diplomatic or official passports. Regular Pakistani passport holders are still required to go through the usual visa process.

However, the creation of a Joint Task Force and the renewed cooperation between both countries give hope that visa policies might be relaxed for more people in the future. With growing agreements in trade, technology, and education, both nations are clearly looking to build a stronger partnership based on trust and mutual benefits.

This new phase in Pakistan-UAE relations could bring many long-term advantages — including easier travel for business leaders, more job opportunities, and shared progress in technology and innovation.

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