Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday, granting mutual exemption from entry visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official passports. The agreement was one of several outcomes of the 12th session of the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), held in Abu Dhabi.
The session, co-chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and the UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, marked the first JMC meeting between the two nations in over a decade. The last session took place in Islamabad in 2013.
Alongside the visa agreement, Pakistan and the UAE signed various accords to deepen collaboration in sectors such as investment, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy, according to Radio Pakistan. The two sides also adopted a protocol establishing frameworks for sectoral working groups, reciprocal visits, and follow-up mechanisms.
Expressing satisfaction over the progress, both delegations agreed to hold the next JMC session in Pakistan at mutually convenient dates. The meeting was described as having been conducted in an atmosphere of brotherhood and mutual understanding, with discussions covering regional and international developments. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability.
In the lead-up to the main session, a preparatory working group led by Pakistan’s Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa and UAE Minister of State Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh reviewed the full range of bilateral ties. They outlined practical steps to expand cooperation across trade, investment, energy, aviation, railways, food security, healthcare, climate change, higher education, defence, manpower, and information technology.
The renewed engagement follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to the UAE earlier this month, where he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties and acknowledged the UAE’s role in promoting regional peace, including its efforts to ease tensions between Pakistan and India.
