UAE Ambassador Salem M Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi has informed Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb that the Emirates is currently processing nearly 500 visas per day for Pakistani nationals, following the introduction of major facilitation measures aimed at speeding up and simplifying the visa process.
During a meeting in Islamabad, Ambassador Al Zaabi reaffirmed the longstanding partnership between Pakistan and the UAE and acknowledged the valuable contributions of Pakistani professionals working across various sectors in the Emirates.
He outlined several new reforms designed to enhance mobility and improve services for Pakistani travelers. These include online visa applications, e-visas with no passport stamping, system-to-system data integration with Pakistan, and the opening of a new visa center to accelerate processing even further. He added that the updated procedures are part of broader efforts to expand cooperation in trade, investment, technology, agriculture, ports, logistics, and financial services.
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The meeting came amid earlier remarks by Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry, who told a Senate committee that the UAE had been issuing visas only to diplomatic and blue passport holders due to concerns over passport misuse and human trafficking. His briefing pointed to broader challenges surrounding Pakistan’s immigration controls and the risks posed by trafficking networks.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb welcomed the UAE’s latest visa facilitation steps, noting that improved mobility will help strengthen private-sector engagement and long-term investment prospects. He also briefed the ambassador on Pakistan’s improving economic indicators, such as stable foreign reserves, declining inflation, a stronger currency outlook, and rising remittances from the UAE.
