UAE to grant entry visas to transit passengers

ABU DHABI: The cabinet of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved a plan to grant entry visas to transit passengers — at all UAE airports —who wish to visit the country's landmarks and tourist attractions.

The new policy aims to enhance transit visa procedures to enable stopover passengers to enjoy a day out in the country, thus boosting the tourism industry, according to UAE official news agency WAM.

The Cabinet approved the formation of a working group to propose a new general policy for transit visas in the UAE to promote the tourism sector and enhance local economy, as well as to grant transit passengers the opportunity to explore UAE’s world-renowned attractions.

The working group, led by Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, will propose a general policy for transit visas. The policy will include visa fees and mechanisms to increase the number of visitors.

Recent statistics show that 70% of the total passengers who passed through UAE's airports in 2017 were transit passengers.

It is expected that the new policy will list visa fees, have mechanisms to increase the number of stop-over visitors, as well as ways to promote the country's tourism attractions.

Nearly 14.9 million tourists visit Dubai annually and the figure is expected to hit 20 million by 2020.