By Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. Recently news circulated on several print and online medias saying that the United Arab Emirates announced a temporary ban on tourists and work visas for eight countries including Uganda. effective January 2026.The restriction is part of a broader list affecting nine countries, including Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Cameroon, and Sudan, according to a recent UAE immigration circular.
What was thought to have been the spark
The move came after BBC investigations linked a Ugandan man to a sex trafficking ring in Dubai targeting vulnerable women. The recent BBC investigation alleging a sex-trafficking ring in Dubai involving Ugandan national Charles “Abbey” Mwesigwa triggered public anger. Lawmakers have since demanded stricter oversight of labour export firms and stronger protections for citizens working abroad.The speculation risked fuelling unnecessary panic in the travel and recruitment industry, at a time when Uganda–UAE relations are at a high point. The first reports appeared on a private website known as UAE Visas Online. The embassy urged Ugandans to rely on official channels for visa information, submit complete applications with proper documentation, and avoid using third-party agents promising fast-tracked processing.
In 2024, the UAE sanctioned three Ugandan government officials over corruption allegations. The UAE government instructed all financial institutions in the country to halt dealing with the three accused Ugandan politicians in any transactions. These instructions were immediately put into practice when the Central Bank of UAE issued a warning to all financial institutions in the Middle East country to thwart any transactions coming from the speaker of Uganda’s parliament Anita Among, and two other ministers. The UAE government directed immigration to issue red flags should any of the three travels through the country. Emirates sanctions came at a time when the Speaker was battling sanctions announced by the United Kingdom at the end of April for corruption, which has led to the freezing of her property and financial holdings in the UK. The UK government’s sanctions were announced by the Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell.
Clarification after confusion
The UAE Visa Ban claims raised concern among Ugandan migrant workers and travellers who feared losing access to one of the country’s top labour and business destinations. The government of Uganda dismissed reports circulating on social media and online platforms claiming the UAE Visa Ban. According to the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Bagiire, no official communication had been received from Abu Dhabi about any suspension of tourist or work visas. “The UAE has not written to us. I wonder where the speculation is coming from,” Bagiire said. Also, the UAE ambassador to Uganda, Abdalla Hassan AlShamsi, said in a phone interview that “what is circulating out there is false,” insisting that no new restrictions had been placed on Ugandan nationals. Over 100,000 Ugandans are legally employed in the UAE, primarily in domestic service, retail and hospitality sectors. The Gulf state is Uganda’s leading export market for gold and a growing source of investment, including in energy infrastructure and the planned Kidepo International Airport. The UAE is one of Uganda’s top trading partners, with gold exports exceeding USD 1 billion annually and making the Gulf state Uganda’s largest single export destination. Uganda imports machinery, textiles and IT equipment worth more than USD 300 million a year from Dubai and other emirates. Emirati investment includes projects such as the planned Kidepo International Airport and a stake in Uganda’s upcoming oil refinery. Air connectivity remains a key enabler of this relationship. Entebbe International Airport handled over 1.06 million international passengers between January and June 2025, with Dubai among the busiest routes. However, Travel industry officials say unverified reports of visa restrictions could reduce bookings on UAE-bound flights and affect business and tourism traffic.
How the two countries remittances Surged
After the UAE’s Visa Ban claims, on 19th September 2025, Uganda’s embassy in Abu Dhabi issued a statement saying that the remittances from Ugandans working in the UAE climbed sevenfold to USD 350 million in 2024, up from USD 50 million in 2018. The number of Ugandans living and working in the UAE has quadrupled in six years, rising to 160,000 in 2025 from 40,000 in 2018. The UAE also emerged as Uganda’s largest export market since October 2024, with bilateral trade reaching USD 2.85 billion. Emirati foreign direct investment has surged tenfold over the same period, exceeding USD 3 billion in 2024, while over 100 Ugandan and Emirati businesses operate between the two countries.
Recent Cooperations
Recently Uganda’s government finalised an agreement with UAE-based Alpha MBM Investments LLC to develop a 60,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) crude oil refinery in Kabaale, Hoima District. Alpha MBM, led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum of the Dubai royal family, will hold a 60 percent stake, and the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) will hold the remaining 40 percent. The USD 4bn facility will be financed through a combination of debt (60 percent) and equity (40 percent), according to earlier reports. Construction is expected to begin this year and the refinery could be operational within three years. In May 2025, Uganda signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UAE Presight, a global provider of big data analytics and artificial intelligence solutions. The collaboration between Uganda and Presight through NITA-U on a high-priority digital transformation initiative aimed at advancing the country’s digital transformation efforts.
In October 2024, Uganda and the UAE’s company Rowad Capital Commercial (RCC), which is based in Dubai, h signed an agreement to revamp Uganda Telecommunications Corporation Limited (UTCL). This cooperation was meant to revamp and rejuvenate UTCL to make it vibrant, and capable of offering quality services to the people of Uganda and beyond. Both nations relations are strong, strategically invaluable, and are developing further. Uganda has signed several agreements with the UAE and others are being negotiated. The UAE is the most important crossroad country in the Middle East, linking Uganda with the Middle East and the most important hub for transiting to the Americas and Europe, to West China, and Japan to the East.
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