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28 March 2024

No ban on 'genuine' tourists to UAE: Al Marri

Published
By Mohammad El Sadafy

The head of the Dubai Immigration has clarified that there is no ban on issuing of Tourist visas.

Earlier, some reports had stated that working class applicants from labour-exporting countries were to be denied Tourist visas.

There is no ban on issuing Tourist visas to members of the professions (non-university graduates), especially for individuals from labour-exporting countries, said Major General Mohammed Al Marri, Director General of the General Department of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai.

"There are no restrictions on real tourists visiting UAE for tourism and not for searching for work,” said Al Marri.

"Tourists come to the UAE through tour companies over which there is government regulation,” he added. 

Last month, after some media outlets wrongly reported that a tourist visa ban was being implemented for unskilled workers, a top Ministry of Interior official denied those press reports.

Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, Assistant Undersecretary for Naturalisation and Residency, and Ports Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, said departments of naturalisation and residency across the country were processing visit visa transactions for would-be applicants consistent with standard procedures.

He lashed out at some media outlets which published this untrue news that drawn from unofficial and unreliable sources.

He explained that 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.

Media reports had wrongly quoted local tour operators as saying that Abu Dhabi's General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners’ Affairs had asked agents not to apply for such visas for those workers and expatriates who do not hold university degrees.

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