On July 11, 2025, Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi to address visa challenges faced by Pakistani citizens. The discussions, held at the UAE Ministry of Interior, focused on simplifying the visa process—particularly for work permits—to ease access for Pakistanis seeking employment opportunities in the UAE.
The UAE assured Pakistan of its commitment to streamlining visa procedures, responding to concerns about high rejection rates, which some X posts attribute to issues like documentation fraud and stricter requirements, such as a minimum bank balance of PKR 1 million. The meeting also covered enhanced cooperation in security, anti-narcotics, and technology exchange. Naqvi, accompanied by Pakistan’s Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi and other officials, toured Abu Dhabi Police’s operations center, expressing interest in adopting similar advanced surveillance systems in Pakistan.
The talks reflect the strong ties between Pakistan and the UAE—a key trading partner and home to nearly 1.9 million Pakistani expatriates contributing significantly to its economy. Both sides agreed to take concrete steps to improve visa access, building on recent agreements like the mutual visa exemption MoU signed in June 2025.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, July 12th, 2025
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