Indian with US visa gets visa on arrival in Dubai
dubai — An Indian national with a US visa has become the first in the UAE to be granted a visa on arrival in Dubai. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai (GDRFA) announced his arrival with a photo on their Instagram account showing the passenger alongside four smiling officials.
The authority did not identify the passenger.
In March, the UAE Cabinet approved a decision to grant Indian passport holders with either a valid US visa or a Green Card a visa on arrival. Under the new move, ordinary passport holders from India who have a US visa or green card with a minimum sixmonth validity can enter the country from any point of entry for a period of 14 days, with an option for a one-time extension of the same period.
The decision comes within the framework of the long-term strategic partnership between the UAE and India and the promotion of political, economic and trade interests between the two countries. According to officials, “the decision strengthens the UAE’s external relations by facilitating the visa issuance process in order to confirm its global status as a tourist and economic hub”.
India is the UAE’s second largest partner, and trade between the two countries reach $60 billion a year, with UAE exports to India amounting to $27 billion a year. Indian exports to the UAE is valued at $33 billion.
The number of Indian tourists coming to the UAE in 2016 reached about 1.6 million.