New visa regulations may damage Omani tourism

The UAE emirate of Sharjah has introduced new regulations that require all non-GCC female UAE residents to obtain the written permission of their employer or male relative before they can cross the Omani border.

Quietly introduced last month, the new regulation applies only at the Dibba border crossing with Oman, Sharjah’s only international land border, which is popular with UAE expats travelling to Zighy Bay or joining a dhow cruise.

While the new rule doesn’t apply to travellers on tourist visas, it joins broader visa requirements introduced in September last year that requires every UAE resident that is not a GCC citizen to receive an Omani tourist visa in advance if they cross at Dibba.

So far the new rules have had little impact, as the majority of hotel guests are from Europe and travelling on a tourist visas. However, during the summer months hotels tend to rely more on weekend business from UAE expats who typically book at the last minute.

Six Senses Zighy Bay hotel spokesperson Monica Majors commented on the challenges faced by the hotel: “The problem is that they don’t publish the changes and regulations. We can’t entertain that last minute business because we won’t be able to assist our guests ... to ensure there are no issues at the border.”

Majors explained that the advance visa regulation is also costing Six Senses Zighy Bay because the resort has chosen to process the visa free of charge for its guests in a bid to avoid any confusion at the border. A copy of the passport and UAE residence visa needs to be sent to the resort at least four days in advance. Women also need to send their letter of no objection, unless they are travelling with their husband, father or brother.

The restrictions are also impacting on tourism operators near the Dibba border, many of whom rely on last minute bookings from UAE expats unaware of the new procedures.

Sheesha Beach Travel and Tourism public relations manager Dylan Mangan said the new requirements were a “serious, serious” problem affecting the dhow cruise operator’s business, which relied on UAE expats for about 70 percent of its business.

“The majority of our business is from expats so it’s a huge, huge thing that’s going on. It’s driving us crazy,” Mangan said.

The changes also were driving away business from large tour operators who were now choosing other activities to fill their itineraries.

“We’ve got to get large numbers of people over the border and due to the new rules in place if all the passports, visas and letters etcetera aren’t given to us within a week of departure it’s even more difficult to get them across,” Mangan said.

Sharjah authorities could not be reached for comment.