In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, where social media is a primary source of new information daily, it also becomes a platform for spreading rumours.
Recently, a rumour claimed that Dubai had implemented a visa ban affecting Pakistani men under 42 who travel alone, causing concern among Pakistani citizens planning trips to the United Arab Emirates.
The rumour originated from a user on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), who claimed that Dubai had introduced a visa ban for solo male travellers under 42. This claim, however, was not officially confirmed. Despite lacking an official announcement, some local travel industry insiders purportedly confirmed the ban, contributing to the rumour’s credibility.
The tweet quickly gained traction on social media, leading to widespread speculation about new visa restrictions imposed by Dubai. Upon further investigation, it became clear that the information in the tweet was unfounded; Dubai has not announced any such visa restrictions, and there is no policy in place withholding visas from Pakistani citizens.
This is not the first instance of such rumours. Last year, a similar baseless claim suggested that the United Arab Emirates had banned visit visas for Pakistani citizens.
In response to these rumours, the Pakistan Foreign Office has denied any such visa ban by the United Arab Emirates. Further dispelling the rumours, the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Karachi issued a statement labelling these claims as fake news, affirming that Dubai has not imposed any visa restrictions on Pakistani citizens.