Extraordinary Dubai welcome for ordinary man

  DUBAI – Clad in an ordinary shirt, white shorts and loafers, an Indian man got a not so ordinary welcome at the Dubai International Airport recently. The man, whom airport officials did not identify, was greeted by officials and police on arrival on May 1. The reason? The Indian passport holder was the first to be granted a visa on arrival in Dubai. “On the first day of activating the new order to Indian passport holders with a valid American visa for six months or a Green Card, our officers welcomed the first Indian passenger in the early hours at Dubai International Airport,” according to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai in a Twitter post on Tuesday (May 2). The UAE Cabinet last month approved the granting of a UAE visa on arrival valid for 14 days to Indians with a valid US visa or Green Card. The validity of the visa on arrival can be extended for a similar period just once. To obtain visa on arrival, the applicant's passport must be valid for at least six months. The visa on arrival costs Dh100, with a fee of Dh250 for a one-time extension. The decision is expected to bolster tourism from India, which brought around 50,000 tourists to the UAE last year. DAJ/Expat 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