The UAE’s already-formidable passport gained further clout on 11 June when a bilateral visa-waiver agreement with Papua New Guinea (PNG) officially entered into force. Under the deal, citizens of both countries may stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period without applying for a visa in advance—an arrangement that puts PNG among the few Pacific nations offering Emiratis hassle-free access. The accord was signed 30 days earlier on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai and is part of Abu Dhabi’s broader strategy to build trade corridors with resource-rich economies. Although PNG is a niche leisure destination, its liquefied-natural-gas projects and minerals sector attract UAE energy majors and state-owned investors. Conversely, PNG officials view Dubai as a convenient hub to reach European, African and Asian markets. For corporate mobility planners, the waiver eliminates an administrative hurdle that previously required sending passports to Canberra-based PNG missions. It should expedite short-notice site visits for engineers, project financiers and due-diligence teams. Travel-management companies report that inquiries about Port Moresby routings via Singapore or Manila rose immediately after the Khaleej Times article was published. The UAE now enjoys visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 187 destinations, according to the latest Passport Index figures, reinforcing its position near the top of global mobility rankings. Officials hinted that similar Pacific and Caribbean agreements are in the pipeline, underscoring the government’s goal of giving Emirati entrepreneurs “frictionless reach to emerging markets.”
Source: Khaleej Times
