The United Arab Emirates has suspended visa-free travel for Ukrainians travelling to the Gulf state, less than a week after the Russian invasion sparked a large-scale exodus of Ukrainian refugees from the conflict zone.
The Ukrainian embassy in the capital Abu Dhabi said the mutual cancellation of visa requirements had been temporarily ended on March 1, according to a notice on its Facebook page. An embassy official later confirmed the news. It does not affect Ukrainian residents living in the UAE.
The suspension of UAE visa waivers is the normal procedure during such “unforeseen crises”, said another official. Ukrainian tourists trapped in the Gulf state and unable to return home are being provided with free accommodation and meals, the official added.
Ignoring Washington’s pleas, the UAE last week joined India and China in abstaining on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s actions. The UAE’s neutrality in part reflects its desire to preserve co-operation with Moscow on energy and geopolitical issues
The oil-rich Gulf state, the population of which is 90 per cent foreign, attracts many migrant labourers and wealthy tax exiles, especially from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The UAE is also a popular destination for both Ukrainian and Russian tourists. About 15,000 Ukrainians live in the UAE and 250,000 of its nationals visited the regional tourism hub in 2019.
Now, bankers and businesspeople expect an influx of Ukrainians fleeing war and Russians seeking to avoid sanctions and economic turmoil at home. Wealthy Ukrainians have already been contacting business partners in Dubai, requesting assistance in securing a home, people briefed on these conversations said.
Emirati officials say the country will abide by international standards and shun individuals and entities placed under sanctions. Abu Dhabi has been working hard to improve financial compliance in an effort to avoid being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring over their efforts to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Gulf state has been co-operating more closely with Russia on energy and geopolitical issues in recent years. Abu Dhabi has also been concerned by what it regards as a lukewarm response by western powers, especially the US, to Yemeni Houthi missile and drone attacks on the UAE this year.
The UAE’s de facto leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, has stressed the need for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis that guarantees the interests and national security of all, saying he would continue to speak to concerned parties to search for a “sustainable political solution”.
Dubai has traditionally benefited financially from regional turmoil, experiencing inflows of people and cash fleeing instability elsewhere. The Arab spring revolts of 2011, for example, triggered a turnround for the city’s economy and real estate after facing a debt crisis during the global financial turmoil.
The UAE came under criticism for failing to take in Syrians when the refugee crisis from Syria’s civil war worsened in 2015. The government countered at the time that about 100,000 Syrians had migrated to the country since the war began, either joining family members resident in the UAE or entering via work or investor visas.
Discussion about this post