Tag Archives: visa

In line with its strategy to enhance consumer experience, Wall Street Exchange has launched a reloadable multi-currency Visa prepaid card, powered by Najm, the financial arm of Majid Al Futtaim. This enables customers to lock in a favourable currency rate before travel, thereby saving them from being affected by any currency fluctuations.The cardholders can create free currency wallets of up to six currencies from a choice of 12 and also withdraw cash from any ATM worldwide that accepts Visa. Sultan Al Mahmoud, Acting Managing Director of Wall Street Exchange, said, “The online payment market in the region is maturing now and consumers are seeking higher security and flexibility in card usage, which makes prepaid cards the preferred option. In prepaid cards, consumers are seeking more innovative features, and Wall Street Exchange is committed to cater to the emerging needs of the users by introducing attractive and innovative features in our cards, along with the ease of use.”

Bahrain is the latest country to be added to Belarus’ list of countries exempted from visa requirements to enter its territories. On January 9, the President of Belarus signed a Decree “On establishing a visa-free order of entrance and departure of foreign citizens”. Under the decree, Bahraini nationals, and nationals from the list of exempted countries, can enter the country for a period of five days and via the international Minsk airport. Visitors to Belarus should also carry documents such as valid passports or any other acceptable travel documents, a minimum sum of money equal to €25($26.6) per day (€125/$133.4 for five days), and at least €10,000 ($10,675.6) health insurance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Also excluded from the advantages of visa exemption are travelers on official business and travelers with diplomatic or special passports or its equivalent. The visa exemption procedures do not apply to flights departing or coming from Russia through the international Minsk airport. Considered domestic flights by the Government of Belarus, these trips are not subject to audit procedures across the Belarusian border, the Ministry added.

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has approved Cabinet Resolution No (24) for 2017 on granting citizens of the Russian Federation visas at all UAE’s entry points. The resolution states that citizens of the Russian Federation are to grant a 30 days entry visa at first time, renewable one time only for another 30 days, and subject to applied UAE regulations. The resolution will enhance strategic co-operation and the common ambitions of the two countries. It will also create new horizons of economic and touristic co-operation serving common interests and goals, as it strengthen the UAE’s international competitiveness as a vibrant economic, commercial, and tourist hub in the region. Official information shows that Russia and the UAE have always benefitted from a strong bilateral relationship in all aspects. This cooperation appears in the strategic partnerships between the two countries, and the various agreements covering economy, tourism, and clean energy co-operation. The UAE ranks first in the GCC states as Russia’s most important business partner, and is considered the tenth largest foreign investor in Russia, with projects valued at Dhs66 billion up to 2014. During 2015, the non-oil trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dhs9 billion, and the UAE is investing around Dhs18 billion in infra-structures in Russia. The average growth of foreign non-oil trade between the UAE and Russia over the past 5 years is 31 per cent. The UAE has received more than 600,000 Russian tourists in the past two years, and there are 56 weekly flights between the two countries by UAE National carriers. This number is expected to rise after the issuance …

Musafir.com has announced a partnership with Visa across the UAE, Qatar and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and launch of dedicated websites for Qatar and KSA. “At Musafir.com we like to exceed our traveller’s expectation. The travel marketplace is very competitive. Our partnership with Visa is a significant step for the rapidly growing travel industry in the UAE and GCC. We anticipate this to make an even more scalable business with the expertise to change the booking experience for travellers. The idea is to focus on getting people to move from offline booking to online booking. This association will be our next chapter of high-growth in this dynamic industry,” commented Sachin Gadoya, Managing Director and Co-founder of Musafir.com. Musafir.com also announced a special offer for all the travellers. A traveller will be able to save AED 200 on ticket booking using Visa debit or credit card until December 31, 2016. Travellers can save up to AED 1200 (for up to six people), using a Visa card only. Customers across the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, can receive their discounted air tickets in three easy steps.  Once the destination is booked, customers will be redirected to the GOVISA page where the service will SMS a security code. After typing the code into checkout section, AED 200 will automatically be deducted from the original price.

Musafir.com has launched the online visa application service. Tourist visas to the UAE and 14 other destinations can now be directly applied on musafir.com and have their travel documentation processed and completed with no hassle. They are the first travel provider in the GCC region to introduce this service online. Under the simplified procedure, applicants submit their application documentation and payment directly on to the website post which the visa will be processed and emailed back to the customer, ready to be shown at the immigration section of the airport. This new product is expected to increase in inbound as well as outbound travel. This new product launch aligns with the UAE’s ambitious Vision 2021 that encompasses all elements that lay the foundation of a smart city, inclusive of the smarter travel industry. With the recent change in the UAE visa norms for GCC expats, travellers into the UAE from the GCC countries will now have to apply for their visa prior to their travel. With this product flexibility, there will be a noticeable shift of visa applications online.