According to Khaleej Times (1 June 2023, and updated on 2 June 2023 as of this writing 5 June 2023), tourists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who are holding a 30- or 60-day visa can now extend their stay for another 30 days. It further says that the maximum duration of stay of UAE visit visa holder in the country is 120 days per government authorities.
This is a very good news for those who want to visit many good tourism spots in all seven (7) emirates of the country, enjoy various offerings in shopping centers, taste good Mediterranean foods, learn about its culture, and experience an immersion process on some occasions. And yes, to evolve.
This is a good line from Pierre Bernardo --
To travel is to evolve.
In the Information Age, people are hungry to evolve. We see different social media showing many people travelling here and there, either domestic or international. They are all storytellers. Through their eyes and lens, we see the world. Most of them are not that rich. Many of them are young backpackers who do not want life to escape them. Eugene Fodor said, "You don't have to be rich to travel well."
In October last year there are some changes in the visa procedures as the UAE government always continues to stay attuned to the call of times.
Extending the visa within the country also helps in the economy in terms of taxation and increased sales for the businessmen that help sustain their operations and provide employment opportunities to many people.
One thing I like most on this is related to climate change -- the reduced pollution on the air every time the tourists have to do an exit to a neighboring country. How does flight affect the environment? Transport & Environment online says -- "Emissions from aviation are a significant contributor to climate change. Airplanes burn fossil fuel which not only releases CO2 emissions but also has strong warming non-CO2 effects due to nitrogen oxides (NOx), vapour trails and cloud formation triggered by the altitude at which aircraft operate."
Another is that priceless peace of mind about continuity of stay without wasted time on travel on air or by land, which could have been spent in a better way.
I remember when there was a sudden change recently in the visa extension system. There were two (2) different actions from two (2) overseas Filipino workers' mothers who came for a visit and obviously enjoyed their stay here.
Mother 1 was surprised that relatives were in a rush packing her things up and booked her for a flight two (2) days after she learned it. She got sad as she felt good here because she was with the daughter and other family members, was treated like a queen, had a grand birthday celebration, was regularly sent to a clinic for a medical check-up, all good medicines supplied and all healthy foods provided. During weekends, she enjoyed exploring some recreational areas and great places.
Mother 2 had no choice but to exit to a neighboring country. The daughter-in-law who worked from home accompanied her to a neighboring country and then came back after visa extension was approved. These days enjoys taking care of the first and only granddaughter, biking and doing some exercises in the parks every morning, attending religious activities on Sundays and taking care of her eldest son and his family.
Who will not love Dubai despite the hot weather? The peace and order situation is good. You can walk safely on the road even until unholy hours of the night. In some areas, there is life even until 4 AM. In parks and areas near the seas, you can see groups of families and friends gathering together to eat and exchange pleasantries. People from more than 200+ countries converge here. The government promotes embracing tolerance for peace. You can feel the blending of culture and get amazed with how the brilliant ideas of different nationalities could turn ideas into something brilliant through creative works in many forms.
The common purpose of the tourists is related to rest and relaxation (R&R), visit beautiful places and relax in world-class facilities. Others are family visits, business conferences and meetings, healthcare or medical treatment, and other personal matters.
All tourists must always have an alert when their visit visa will expire and if they plan to extend it, must do so ahead of expiry date, so there is an ample time to process the renewal and avoid fines. The sponsor or travel agent will brief them about the required documents, fees (which include visa extension fees, fees inside the country, knowledge and innovation fees, and related fees, if any), procedures and time to process all. With the current online system, it will not take that long (2 days +/-).
My son visited me here once, and my youngest daughter, thrice. Perhaps my middle child can be here in the near future.
I am passionately mesmerized by the UAE's beauty despite all my personal challenges in life. My country, the Philippines, is a small dot in the global map, but there are more or less a million of us here. When things go right with wind to our favor, we bring families and friends here to share the joy of just being here. As for myself, I see the world here. The longer I stay, the more I become modest, knowing that I occupy a very little spot in the world. Sooner or later, I will go back home with a treasure of memories, good and bad, but all helped me evolve.
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Image credits: Pixabay | zoellnerwillich
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