UAE: No ban on work visas, Pakistan ambassador says

He also advised Pakistanis to be vigilant, as there are several agents who try to lure people with fake jobs

There is no ban on work visas for Pakistanis in the UAE, said Afzaal Mahmood, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UAE.

“People used to contact us to inquire about work visa ban. There is no ban on a work visa for Pakistanis and people are coming here for employment. There is a very interesting area where a lot of Pakistani workers moved to the UAE and that is the home delivery segment," he said during a media interaction on Friday.

A large number of local home delivery companies have recruited Pakistanis because they are "very skilful and efficient," Mahmood added.

But he also advised Pakistanis to be vigilant, as there are several agents who try to lure people with fake jobs. Those who fall for the guise and come to the UAE end up with mounting legal issues.

“It becomes difficult to get out of legal issues. So, my message to Pakistanis coming to the UAE for jobs is that please be careful and don’t play in the hands of selfish agents," Mahmood said.

There are approximately 1.6 million Pakistanis currently living and working in the UAE. The Emirates is home to the second-largest diaspora of Pakistanis after Saudi Arabia and remit billions of dollars every year.

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