Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department records 50 per cent jump in visitors from visa-on-arrival category countries

The Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) has recorded a 50 per cent increase in the number of visitors from the 33 countries that enjoy visa-on-arrival status. More than 1 million visas were issued for nationals of these countries by DNRD at the Dubai International Airport during 2003.

The 33 countries that enjoy visa-on-arrival status in the UAE include the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and Italy, among others.

"This new record represents a tremendous boost to tourism and business in the UAE. A 50 per cent increase in traffic from these countries in just one year translates into a vote of confidence in the UAE's position as the commercial and tourism hub of the region," said Colonel Saeed bin Belailah, Director, DNRD. "As these countries largely represent the highly developed and industrialized world, their increased numbers in the Middle East send the message that the UAE is becoming a highly popular destination for business and pleasure."

"This tremendous increase in visitors from these 33 countries also means added pressure on our staff issuing visas at the Dubai International Airport," added Colonel bin Belailah. "We have been able to face the challenge due to the dedication of our staff, backed by state-of-the-art IT systems that increase speed and efficiency. We have achieved full IT integration between our airport offices and the head office and this has enabled us to meet the high demand and expectations."

"The increase in visitors from the visa-on-arrival category countries has been triggered by the pioneering business and tourism initiatives in the UAE, including projects like the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), The Palm, Dubai Marina, Dubai Internet City and numerous others that have enhanced the country's position on the global map," added Colonel bin Belailah. "We expect this number to rise further in 2004 and are gearing ourselves to cope with that scenario."