12 February 2004	Thursday	20 Zilhaj 1424

ABU DHABI, Feb 11: The United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday foreigners would no longer have to leave the country to change visit visas into work permits, the official WAM news agency reported, after a "visa" flight crashed, killing 43 people.

The decision made in the name of President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan was to "facilitate procedures" for foreigners seeking to convert visit visas, it said. Applicants would pay a fee, to be fixed later, rather than have to fly out for a day in order to change their status.

The old process involved thousands of people taking a plane to neighbouring countries, usually Qatar, or Iran's Gulf island of Kish, which lies 200 kilometres from Dubai.

Newspapers reported on Wednesday that Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Dubai's crown prince and UAE defence minister, had implemented similar measures in Dubai, one of seven members of the UAE federation.

On Tuesday, an Iranian Kish Airlines plane crashed in neighbouring Sharjah and only three people survived. The flight from Kish was operated by Kish Airlines which is used particularly by Iranian tourists and Asian workers who have to leave the Emirates briefly to obtain new visas. -AFP