Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports. The agreement was signed during the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), held in Abu Dhabi after a 13-year gap. The last session took place in Islamabad in 2013.
The meeting was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The session aimed to strengthen bilateral ties through institutional cooperation and new agreements. Prior to the main session, a working group led by PM’s Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa and UAE’s Minister of State Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh held discussions to finalize key points.
According to the Foreign Office, both nations agreed to expand cooperation in trade, finance, energy, defense, IT, health, higher education, labor, food security, and climate change. A protocol was also signed to establish sector-specific working groups, ensure better coordination, and facilitate mutual visits in the future.
In addition to the visa waiver MoU, the two countries signed agreements on promoting investment and on cooperation in artificial intelligence and the digital economy. Ishaq Dar later posted on X (formerly Twitter) that this step reflects both nations’ intent to deepen their already strong diplomatic ties and institutional collaboration.
The UAE remains Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, after China and the U.S., and hosts over 1 million Pakistani expatriates. In FY 2023–24, bilateral trade exceeded $10.9 billion, covering both goods and services. The 13th session of the JMC is expected to be held in Pakistan at mutually agreed dates, reflecting the countries’ shared vision for a dynamic and forward-looking partnership.