Bangladesh urges UAE to re-open jobs and visa

Bangladesh government has urged the UAE authorities to re-open visa for Bangladeshi nationals - who form the third largest expatriate community in the UAE.

Visa issuance to Bangladeshi nationals have been restricted following street agitation in support of the mass upsurge in Bangladesh against the then Bangladesh government in July 2024 by Bangladeshi nationals in the UAE, which is completely illegal under the UAE laws and regulations.

Political agitations are banned in the UAE that encourages resolution of disputes through dialogue and justice through legal recourses. Following the incident, 57 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested and given life imprisonment following a summary trial. They were later freedand deported upon a request by the Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus made to the UAE Government.

Bangladeshi citizens require a visa to enter the UAE and can apply for various visa types, including tourist, work, and residence visas like the Golden Visa, through the official Immigration and Naturalisation Department (ICP) website or authorised visa agents.
Currently the UAE is only issuing visas to Bangladeshi nationals who are on official assignments. Bangladeshi nationals who wish to visit the UAE for tourism, business and work permit are unable to secure visas, according to sources.

Bangladesh Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin said that the UAE and its investors would benefit through investing in economic zones of Bangladesh, during a meeting with UAE ambassador to Bangladesh, Abdulla Ali Al Hmoudi, at his office earlier this year.

During the meeting, they discussed issues related to improvement of bilateral relations, export of skilled manpower to UAE, introducing visa as well as related to trade, commerce and investment.

Stating that Bangladeshis have investments in the UAE, he said that the investment environment now in Bangladesh is also good.

Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) currently own more than 150,000 business establishments in the UAE, employing more than 500,000 Bangladeshi professionals and workers. There are about 50,000 more NRB professionals who work in various public and private sector organisations contributing to the UAE economy.

In the first half of 2025, Bangladeshi businesses showed a 37.5 percent year-on-year growth in new companies joining the Dubai Chamber, placing them in fourth position among investors in Dubai after Indian, Pakistani, and Egyptian firms.

Bangladeshi businesses and expats play a vital role in supporting Dubai's economy through new companies and investments. The significant year-on-year growth positions Bangladesh as a major contributor to Dubai's growing economic landscape.

“This growth reflects a significant and increasing trend of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs establishing operations and making investments in Dubai's economy,” said a Dubai Chamber report.

In addition to that thousands of wealthy Bangladeshis have invested in the UAE’s real estate sector over the last two decades.
Bangladeshi businessmen and tourists have been regular visitors to the UAE who bring their families for vacationing and shopping – that helps the UAE economy.

The current visa restriction, in place for more than a year, is affecting the economic relations between the two countries economic growth.

Bangladesh currently have 100 economic zones under development where foreign investors can establish fully-owned industries or their subsidiaries and benefit from great opportunities of serving 170 million people with lower operating cost that translates into higher profit margin.

Bangladesh provides a golden opportunity for UAE businessmen, who could benefit from the economic opportunities offered by Bangladesh.

Lauding highly the role of the expatriate Bangladeshis, Bashir Uddin said that Bangladeshi expatriates living in the UAE and in other countries are playing a very import role in the country's economy and socio-economic development.
He also urged the UAE Ambassador to reintroduce UAE visa for the Bangladeshi workers.