ISLAMABAD – July 28, 2025:
In a significant boost to bilateral relations, the United Arab Emirates has formally waived visa requirements for Pakistani diplomatic and official passport holders, with a similar privilege now extended to UAE officials visiting Pakistan.
The announcement came via Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who shared the development on Sunday through a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Dar stated that the agreement was finalized during his June 24 meeting with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
“Pleased to confirm that I have been officially informed by the UAE authorities: the visa waiver for Pakistani diplomatic and official passport holders has come into effect at all UAE airports from July 25, 2025,” Dar wrote.
He added that the visa exemption is mutual, with the Government of Pakistan also implementing the same facility for Emirati diplomatic and official passport holders at all airports across the country.
The agreement was formally solidified through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), outlining the terms of the mutual exemption. As per the MoU, the waiver became effective 30 days after signing, marking July 25 as the official implementation date.
The development is seen as a step forward in enhancing people-to-people contact, diplomatic engagement, and state-level coordination between the two close allies.
Earlier this month, the UAE’s Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had also assured Pakistan of fast-tracking visa procedures for ordinary Pakistani citizens. His commitment came during a meeting with Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
This latest move reflects growing trust and strategic alignment between Islamabad and Abu Dhabi, with both sides keen on deepening collaboration across diplomatic, economic, and security sectors.
