Mario David MEP warmly welcomes the exemption of visas to the United Arab Emirates

The Portuguese Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Chairman of the European Union (EU)- United Arab Emirates (UAE) Parliamentary Friendship Group, Mario David, warmly welcomes the exemption of visas to the United Arab Emirates for the 13 European Union Member States which still didn’t have it, from last Saturday onwards.

The new exempted countries are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Thus, from now onwards all the 28 EU Member States citizens can travel to the UAE without any visa requirements.

This UAE decision which entered into force this weekend comes after the approval by the European Parliament last 27th February of the visa exemption for the UAE citizens which travel to the EU Schengen Area.

Mário David which is also EPP Vice President “congratulates UAE Authorities for this initiative” and “hopes we can enhance our cultural and economic ties, strengthening our mutual knowledge, understanding and respect” and recalled that “this an historical milestone, as this is the first Arab Country to have open borders for its citizens within the EU common area (Schengen)”.