Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday announced that Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates have agreed on multiple visa waivers for diplomatic and official Pakistani passports, and vice versa.

Pakistan and the UAE share close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances, with a large Pakistani expatriate population living and working there.

In a post on X, Dar announced the agreement with the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, hailing the decision between “our two brotherly countries”.

“I have been informed by the UAE authorities that the visa waiver for diplomatic and official Pakistani passports entering the United Arab Emirates has been activated, effective July 25, 2025, at all UAE airports,” the foreign minister wrote.

“We agreed [on] mutual visa waivers on diplomatic and official passports between our two brotherly countries and we both signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to make this arrangement effective and operative after 30 days of the signing,” he added.

According to Dar, reciprocal arrangements have also been activated for Emirati nationals at all Pakistani airports.

Earlier this month, UAE’s Interior Minister Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan assured “full support” in expediting visas for Pakistani citizens.

Al Nahyan’s statement came during a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Mohsin Naqvi.

During the visit, Naqvi emphasised the importance of easing the visa policy, stating, “We want Pakistani citizens to come to the UAE with ease. Relaxation in visa policies will bring great relief.”

In June, Pakistan and the UAE signed an MoU on mutual visa exemption during the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC).