UAE citizens get Schengen visa waiver to EU states

UAE nationals will no longer require Schengen visas to visit the European Union (EU) after the EU's Security and Policy Committee today gave its final endorsement for the visa waiver, a top UAE official announced today. Suleiman Hamed Salem Al Mazrouei, Head of the UAE Mission to European Union (EU) and UAE to Belgium, said the latest EU's move was a fruit of the relentless efforts made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the sound directives of HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Minister. ''The endorsement represents the last legal procedure before the final formal approval by the European Parliament, whose Committee on Civil Liberties, has already approved the visa waiver,'' he said. He explained that the committee had given its green light following a thorough evaluation of security, economic, trade, and tourist aspects. Al Mazrouie added that visa waiver would take effect after all formalities were completed, expecting the EP to vote on the visa-free resolution within the next few weeks. Committee on Civil Liberties has added the UAE to a list of 15 countries in South America, the Caribbean and Pacific oceans whose citizens will receive the visa-waiver.