More than 180 passengers traveling to Dubai on tourist visas have been stranded at Dubai International Airport since Tuesday because they did not meet certain entry requirements, an airline official said on Wednesday.
Shahid Mughal, Pakistan International Airline (PIA) regional manager in the United Arab Emirates, said passengers arrived after the airline received instructions from local authorities to implement the requirements. According to the instructions, passengers visiting Dubai or applying for a tourist visa at least Dh2000 and hotel booking or a relative’s reference are required to indicate their whereabouts during their visit.
“We received a circular from the local immigration authorities yesterday. Visitors on tourist visas have to show they have Dh2,000 {to support their stay} and hotel booking or prove they have relatives whom they are visiting.”
He said over 180 passengers arriving from Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar were not allowed to enter because they did not meet these entry requirements.
“The PIA team and a team from the Consulate General of Pakistan are liaising with local authorities to see if they can exit the airport,” he said. The official confirmed that the airline has started strictly enforcing the rule and is currently not allowing non-compliant passengers to board the flights to Dubai.
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