Since running our fact check on this news last week, over a dozen Lebanese people reached out informing us about their applications suddenly being denied recently.
In addition to this, several travel agents are telling Lebanese travelers that there are no visas to Dubai. Several employers in Dubai informed us that the visa processing for Lebanese has been suspended.
After Lebanon’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Fouad Dandan, said he was not “officially” notified about the suspension of new visas and has been waiting for clarification from the Foreign Ministry of UAE.
To add to the confusion, several photoshopped images with false information are circulating on the internet.
Among them is this document, that DAFZA doesn’t recognize:
Another seems to be an email sent out by Emirates Airlines, who confirmed to The961 that they “do not deal with visas”:
When shown this document, Emirates told The961 that they “have not received an official update about this” and suggested we contact the UAE embassy in Lebanon.
The Emirati Embassy wasn’t immediately available for comment.
This comes as a shock to Lebanese people, many of whom seek employment opportunities in the UAE – especially during Lebanon’s economic crisis.
The UAE is currently home to an estimated 156,000 Lebanese people and has served as a nearby vacation location for many. Recently, UAE signed a peace treaty with Israel. A month ago, the UAE and Israel agreed to allow visa-free travel.
