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Tag: UAE

  • After Saudi Arabia, PM Shehbaz set to visit Turkey

    After Saudi Arabia, PM Shehbaz set to visit Turkey

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will visit Turkey next week as his first visit to Ankara after assuming office in April.

    The Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar, in a briefing, said: “The prime minister would be visiting Turkey next week, and we would be sharing with you more details containing elements, specific elements, and engagements envisaged during this visit.”

    Prior to this, PM Shehbaz held two foreign trips to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Following his visit, it was announced that Saudi Arabia is finalising the extension of the $3 billion deposit to Pakistan.

    On the other foreign engagements, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visited Davos, Switzerland, to attend World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting (May 23-26), with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman accompanying him.

  • PM Shehbaz, Hamza appear in court for hearing of Rs16bn money laundering case

    PM Shehbaz, Hamza appear in court for hearing of Rs16bn money laundering case

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and his son Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Hamza Shehbaz appeared in a special court (Central-I) for their hearing in the Rs16 billion money-laundering case today.

    The father-son duo was accompanied by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

    Shehbaz and Hamza were set to be indicted in the case in the previous hearing on May 14 but it was delayed because the prime minister was in the UK and postponed his return to the country in order to visit the UAE to offer condolences over the death of their president.

    Once the hearing started, Judge Ijaz Hassan Awan complained that due to the security of the prime minister, others coming to the court had to suffer.

    Replying to his complaint, PM Shehbaz mentioned that he has asked his security not to stop anybody. “I am appearing before the court in order to maintain its dignity and follow the laws of the country,” the premier added.

    When the court asked PM Shehbaz to take the rostrum, the premier said he would have committed a crime if he hadn’t appeared in the court.

    “On the orders of former prime minister Imran Khan, an investigation was conducted in Britain and I was proved innocent,” PM Shehbaz recalled, adding that he returned to Pakistan back in 2004 and wouldn’t have come back if he had black money.

    When Shehbaz again took the stand, he told the court he had served as the chief minister for 10 years but had never taken a salary. “My salary would be Rs10 million but I did not take it. I also went on official tours using my own money. I used to get the government car refuelled from my own pocket.”

    “I saved the nation billions of rupees.”

    The premier’s counsel argued that the 14 accounts mentioned by the FIA were through banking channels. “Baseless propaganda was done in this case for 1.5 years. The suspects tolerated insults despite lack of evidence.”

    “It seems the FIA is inspired by [streaming platform] Netflix. This is a film-inspired FIR,” he argued.

    The FIA had in December 2021 submitted the challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to a special court for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16bn in the sugar scam case.

  • Pakistan to host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in 2023

    Pakistan will host Cricket World Cup for veteran players in the next year 2023. The age limit for players to play in the tournament would be 40 and above.

    According to Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), 12 teams will play in the tournament which will commence on September 23, 2023, at six venues in Karachi while the final match will be played on October 8.

    Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman PVCA told the media: “Pakistan will be joined in the World Cup by old rivals – India, Australia, England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada, USA, Zimbabwe, Wales, UAE, and Namibia.”

    He added, “It is going to be a major event and we will take all steps to make sure that we host it successfully.”

    “We have a number of leading cricketers who would be eligible to compete in the World Cup. We are hoping that top players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Hafeez will play for Pakistan. We are going to field a very strong team and will be the favorites to win the World Cup,” he further said.

    There is a new concept that will give an opportunity to former cricketers to play on the fields again while young audiences and players will also get another chance to see their seniors playing on the grounds.

    Every match will be of 45 overs and local TV channels will broadcast the matches of Pakistan including the semi-finals and finals live.

    The Veterans World Cup, aged above 50, was first launched in Australia in 2018. However, its second edition was canceled due to a covid pandemic.

  • Pakistanis can now stay for 60 days in Dubai on a tourist visa

    United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now allowed Pakistanis to stay for 60 days on a tourist visa as a standard policy from September. It will facilitate people who intend to stay for a long break in the country.

    The country also provides another visa type for job seekers that is called ‘ a job exploration entry visa ‘ which allows people to explore job opportunities in the region.

    The UAE government media office said, “Major improvements include facilitating the entry requirements for all visa types, offering flexible visa durations that meet the needs of the visitors and the purpose of the visit,” will be implemented.

    “In addition, all entry visas are available for single or multiple entry, can be renewed for similar periods, and are valid for 60 days from their issuance date.”

    In the past, UAE had a standard 30-days visa on arrival for many nations including Britain, America, and Australia. People who overstayed were given a nine-day grace period to return to their countries. Otherwise, they were subjected to fines that amounted to 200 dirhams for the first day and 100 dirhams for each consecutive day.

    Nations that do not have a visa on arrival policy such as India and Pakistan have to arrange for a visa through a travel agency before arrival in the UAE.

  • UAE to ease covid-19 restrictions for Pakistanis travelling to Dubai

    UAE to ease covid-19 restrictions for Pakistanis travelling to Dubai

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is planning to ease Covid-19 travel restrictions for Pakistanis with regards to Covid-19 restrictions. Passengers travelling to Dubai will no longer be required to show reports of a rapid antigen test upon their arrival.

    Passengers arriving from Pakistan must have:

    • A valid negative COVID‑19 PCR test certificate with a QR code linked to the original report for verification purposes, for a test conducted within 48 hours. Validity should be calculated from the time the sample was collected, prior to departure from an approved health facility.
    • A rapid COVID‑19 PCR test report with a QR code for a test conducted at the departure airport within six hours of departure.

    There are specific requirements for passengers travelling to Dubai airport though. They still have to undergo another PCR test and quarantine, on arrival to the UAE until they test negative.

    Meanwhile, travelers transiting through Dubai won’t be required to show a negative PCR test unless it is mandated by their final destination. Passengers must also obtain a negative PCR test received within 48 hours.

  • Is Shahid Afridi going to cook in his restaurant ‘Lala Darbar’?

    Is Shahid Afridi going to cook in his restaurant ‘Lala Darbar’?

    Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has announced that he will be opening a restaurant, ‘Lala Darbar’, in Dubai. He has also shared a video in which he can be seen wearing an apron and slicing tomatoes.

    Sharing the video, Afridi wrote: “One step closer to the big announcement. Revealing Soon.”

    Afridi further added: “Get ready to give your taste buds a mouth-watering triple tarka!”

    Afridi asked his followers to follow it on social media and he also revealed that the restaurant will be in Dubai.

    This is not the first time that the former all-rounder has tried a venture. He had opened a restaurant ‘Splice’ in Lahore and earlier in March 2021, he had also launched a range of skincare products. Announcing the news on social media, Afridi shared that the new line, from the world of Hope Care, is named ‘Ooh Lala‘.

    Besides this new skincare line, Afridi also has a clothing brand, ‘Hope Not Out’.

  • One Pakistani dead among three casualties in Abu Dhabi attack

    One Pakistani dead among three casualties in Abu Dhabi attack

    Three people were killed in a suspected drone attack in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, which involved two Indians and one Pakistani national.

    The incident happened when three petrol tanks blew up near a storage facility of an oil giant company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). A fire also erupted in a construction area at Abu Dhabi airport.

    The company released the official statement, “ADNOC is deeply saddened to confirm that three colleagues have died. A further six colleagues were injured and received immediate specialist medical care.”

    Police found small flying objects at both places and claimed that they have never witnessed such a huge attack in the peaceful country of the Middle East.

    The Foreign Ministry of UAE said, “The UAE condemns this terrorist attack by the Houthi militia on areas and civilian facilities on Emirati soil…(It) will not go unpunished.”

    It further added, “The UAE reserves the right to respond to these terrorist attacks and criminal escalation.”

    A small number of flights were briefly stopped by Etihad Airways at the airport but after a few hours, normal operations were resumed.

    Police said, “Preliminary investigations indicate the detection of small flying objects, possibly belonging to drones, that fell in the two areas and may have caused the explosion and fire.”

    These attacks have been claimed by the Iran-backed rebel group, Houthi in Yemen.

    The Deputy Minister of Information Nasraddin Amer in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, the capital of Yemen confirmed that the rebel forces had carried out an attack. This attack was launched in reaction to the “UAE’s escalation” in two contested provinces of Yemen, Shabwa and Marib.

    The visit of the South Korean President, Moon Jae In to the UAE was also called off due to the current situation. The summit was planned between the South Korean President and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince.

    UAE is backing Saudi Arabia in a war with Yemen that has been going on for the last seven years.

    Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also condemned the attack and dubbed it as a “cowardly, terrorist” attack.

  • Non-Muslims can now have a civil marriage in the UAE

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued its first civil marriage license for a Canadian couple in the capital, Abu Dhabi. This license was given under a new law on the personal status of non-muslims in the country, which was announced last month.

    Foreigners make up 90 percent of the approximately 10 million population in the Gulf state. Recently, UAE has been introducing new laws for promoting progressiveness in the region.

    According to WAM news agency, this decision “contributes to the consolidation of Abu Dhabi’s position as a world-leading destination for skills and expertise from around the world.”

    Civil marriage was not allowed in the Middle East as it is the birthplace of three monotheistic religions that includes Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Usually, marriages are conducted under the religious authority of any of the three faiths.

    Civil marriages are only allowed in Algeria and Tunisia.

    Recently, the country has seen a lot of developments, which include lifting a ban on unmarried couples living together and loosening restrictions on alcohol.

    Earlier this month, the UAE also announced that it will move to a Western-style Saturday-Sunday weekend. This will make Emirates the only Gulf country not to observe weekends on a Friday, and Saturday. The government also exempted the censorship policy from cinema and introduced ratings for mature content.

  • UAE ends cinema censorship, introduces 21+ rating for movies

    UAE ends cinema censorship, introduces 21+ rating for movies

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it will no longer censor cinematic releases, introducing a 21 and above age rating for films.

    The country’s Media Regulatory Office said on Twitter that it had introduced a 21+ age category to its motion picture content rating system.

    “According to this classification, the international version of movies will be shown in cinemas, with an emphasis on the strict following of age classification standards for audience entry,” it added.

    Recently, the country has seen a lot of developments, which include lifting a ban on unmarried couples living together and loosening restrictions on alcohol.

    Earlier this month, the UAE also announced that it will move to a Western-style Saturday-Sunday weekend. This will make Emirates the only Gulf country not to observe weekends on a Friday, and Saturday.

  • Humayun Saeed receives Golden Visa from the UAE

    Humayun Saeed receives Golden Visa from the UAE

    Pakistan’s superstar Humayun Saeed has been awarded Golden Visa from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Taking to Instagram, Humayun wrote: “Honoured to receive the Golden Visa from the UAE. Very grateful for all the love and appreciation the people of UAE have always shown to me and my work. My family and I have always loved Dubai and thoroughly enjoy our trips here which I suppose are now going to increase!”

    The actor thanked the government of UAE, saying: “Thank you to the UAE government and especially to the Dubai Film and TV Commission @filmdubai and ARY Digital Network.”

    With a Golden Visa, foreigners can live, work and study in the UAE without the need of a national sponsor and with 100 per cent ownership of their business on the UAE’s mainland.

    Other stars who have received the prestigious golden visa by the Dubai government include Wasim Akram, all-rounder of the national team Shoaib Malik and his wife and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.