UAE Lifts Three-Year Travel Ban to Lebanon
Both nations agreed to raise diplomatic representation and establish joint economic projects.
The UAE has lifted a three-year travel ban on its citizens visiting Lebanon, following talks between UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Abu Dhabi. The move, announced in a joint statement, aims to ease movement through streamlined procedures, while both nations agreed to raise diplomatic representation levels and establish a joint business council.
The UAE had imposed the ban in 2021. Lebanon’s tourism sector, heavily reliant on Gulf visitors, suffered significant losses during the restriction. The UAE Embassy in Beirut resumed operations in January 2025, signaling gradual normalisation.
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will send a delegation to explore infrastructure projects. A government knowledge-sharing program will bolster institutional cooperation.
The decision aligns with broader Gulf outreach to Lebanon under Aoun’s presidency, including Saudi Arabia’s pledge to review trade barriers in March 2025.
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