The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has moved to tighten visa requirements for Ugandan nationals, citing concerns over immigration abuse and unlawful activities by some travelers.
Speaking to China’s Xinhua news agency, Henry Oryem Okello, Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of International Cooperation confirmed that the restrictions will be imposed on long-term visas.
However, he stressed that the measure does not amount to a complete travel ban, but rather a halt on certain categories of long-term visas.
According to the minister, Emirati authorities are particularly concerned about individuals considered at high risk of overstaying or engaging in unlawful activity.
“According to our ambassador in the UAE, there is no total ban,” Oryem explained in a telephone interview to Xinhua. “They are going to put restrictions on Ugandans travelling to the UAE. There will be no long-term visas—only short-term visas—and some classes of people will not be able to receive visas.”
“It is not a blanket prohibition. Some people will still go, but it will be based on the risk of a person overstaying their visa or not respecting the laws and culture of the UAE,” Oryem told the Xinhua news agency.
The move comes on the heels of a recent BBC investigation that linked Charles Mwesigwa, a Ugandan national, to a sex ring targeting vulnerable women in Dubai’s exclusive neighbourhoods. The exposé reinforced concerns long held by Emirati authorities about the abuse of visa channels.
Even as Oryem emphasized that the restrictions are not an outright travel ban, he acknowledged their potential impact on Ugandans seeking work in the Gulf.
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The implications for Uganda are wide-reaching.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development reported that between January 2022 and December 2023, at least 120,459 Ugandan workers left the country to take up jobs abroad, with the Middle East accounting for over 89 percent of these placements.
Uganda earned UGX 25 billion (USD 6.5 million) from labour externalisation fees in that period, while remittances from Ugandans in the Gulf form part of the country’s estimated USD 1.4 billion in annual inflows.
The restrictions therefore threaten to choke a vital lifeline for thousands of households and disrupt the labour recruitment industry in Kampala.
The UAE is Uganda’s largest export market, accounting for more than a third of total exports. In 2024, Uganda’s exports to the UAE reached USD 2.62 billion out of a national total of USD 8.04 billion, with gold alone contributing USD 1.31 billion.
At present, the UAE is yet to formally provide an official position through diplomatic channels. This remains a developing story.