Pakistan’s port city has got the largest visa handling facility in Asia belonging to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The centre comes as part of the framework to provide all administrative services related to improving the level of customer service and issuing visas to facilitate the entry of Pakistanis to the UAE through electronic gates at the ports.
The UAE has emerged as one of the largest economic and trade partners of Pakistan in recent times. In the wake of hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai, relations have improved between the UAE and Pakistan. Currently, more than 1.6 million Pakistani expatriates live in the UAE and work in different public and private sectors, who remit over $4 billion to Pakistan annually. Undoubtedly, Pakistan is gaining importance as it promises good future prospects in the region. Just like Saudi Arabia, UAE has also realised the future potential of Pakistan with CPEC, and TAPI projects being pursued with China and Russia respectively. That is one reason why all these close brotherly countries are positioning right from the outset. It is also a positive development for Pakistani expats living and earning their bread and butter in the UAE.
Pakistan needs to take benefit from these positive developments. An ease in visa process will decrease difficulties faced by Pakistanis in their quest for a better future in the Middle East. Millions of Pakistanis have left their sweet home to work in other countries to earn their livelihood. They remit large portions of their earnings to Pakistan and enhance foreign exchange reserves of the country. The government literally runs on this money to keep balance of payments for imports. The opening of the largest visa facility will not only ease journey to and from Pakistan to the UAE, it would also strengthen relations between two brotherly states. Hopefully, more such measures will be taken to cement ties in the near future.
