UAE passport holders now exempt from Tonga pre-entry visa

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced that UAE passport holders can travel to the Kingdom of Tonga without a pre-entry visa.
Starting from May 24, travelers to the Polynesian Kingdom can stay for up to 60 days per visit. 
Ambassador Ahmed Ilham Al Dhahiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said UAE citizens carrying diplomatic, private, VIP and regular passports are eligible.
The exemption is based on a memorandum of understanding signed between the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Tonga in Dubai by Ambassador Yacoub Yousef Al Hosani, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Organizations, and Akla Wala, the Tongan Ambassador to the UAE. This was on the sidelines of the meeting of Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and the Tongan Ambassador.
Al Dhaheri said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation made great progress in its diplomatic and consular efforts to strengthen the country's status at the global level.
"Its commitment to signing memorandums of understanding for visa exemptions comes as part of its keenness to provide distinguished consular services to UAE nationals and facilitate their travels worldwide. Consolidating bilateral relations with these countries  helps enhance cooperation in tourism, economic and investment fields."
"We aim to have the UAE passport ranking among the five most important passports in line with UAE's 2021 vision," he added.
The Kingdom of Tonga, with its capital Nuku'alofa, is comprised of 176 islands scattered over an area of seven hundred thousand square kilometers in the South Pacific. It is located between Hawaii and New Zealand, east of Australia. Tongan and English are its official languages.