After 30 months of having to obtain a costly visa in advance, Canadians who wish to travel to the UAE can, from June 1, obtain a visa on arrival. The abolition of the visa-in-advance scheme reverts to the previous position of visa-on-arrival for Canadians.
The move marks a new chapter in UAE-Canada friendship, one that, like any friendship, can go through strains — friends can disagree about issues, but always remain bound by the ties of friendship. Indeed, close to 40,000 Canadians call the UAE home. While the visa regulations did not impact them directly, it did pose an administrative hurdle for their relatives and friends who wanted to visit. From a business perspective, Canadian executives wanting to take advantage of our booming economy were limited to single-entry visas obtained in advance.
The reversion to the previous arrangement will be welcome news for Canadians. The arrangement, however, does not alter the fact that Ottawa refuses to grant more landing slots to UAE airlines. Both Emirates and Etihad are limited to three flights weekly each and only to Toronto. Now is the time to revisit that pressing issue.
