DUBAI, July 27: The United Arab Emirates and Pakistan have officially activated a visa waiver for holders of diplomatic and official passports, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Dar revealed that during a recent meeting with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was informed that the visa waiver came into effect on July 25, 2025.

The agreement was signed in the final week of July during the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) held in Abu Dhabi.

Dar said: “During my meeting in Abu Dhabi on June 24, 2025, with my brother Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we agreed on mutual visa waivers for diplomatic and official passports between our two brotherly countries. We signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement this arrangement, effective 30 days after signing.”

Confirming the activation of the waiver, Dar added: “I have been informed by UAE authorities that the visa waiver for Pakistani diplomatic and official passports is now operational at all UAE airports, effective July 25, 2025.”

He further confirmed that reciprocal arrangements have been put in place, allowing UAE nationals holding diplomatic and official passports to enter Pakistan without a visa.

The UAE and Pakistan share strong diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties, with over 1.7 million Pakistanis living and working in the UAE. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani tourists also visit the Gulf nation annually.

Since taking office, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made several visits to the UAE, reinforcing the close relationship between the two countries.

It is important to note that this visa waiver applies exclusively to diplomatic and official passport holders and does not extend to ordinary passport holders.