UAE visa issue leaves Pakistani Coldplay fans in the cold

A Pakistani couple, die-hard fans of Coldplay, had eagerly secured their tickets months in advance for the English rock band's highly anticipated concerts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

However, their excitement turned to dismay when their UAE visitor visa applications were rejected just two days after submission. The couple, like many other Pakistani fans, is now grappling with the bitter disappointment of missing the concerts scheduled for January 9-14.

"We were extremely dejected as me, my wife, and my friends were extremely excited for the culmination of this long-awaited dream of ours – to see Coldplay play live!" the husband, who wishes to remain anonymous due to fear of facing future hurdles in visa applications, told TRT World.

"We looked at the options for reapplying the visa but ultimately decided against it because the financial loss was too much. It seemed like no one was getting the visa anyway."

A UAE 60-day visit visa costs 46,500 Pakistani rupees (approximately $168). A ticket to the concert is selling for AED 434 (around $120).

Having Pakistani passports, the couple had followed the protocol of applying for a visitor visa at least a month before their intended travel date.

Despite adhering to the timeline and all the required documents, they received a rejection email without any explanation, leaving them confused and disheartened.

"We had already lost money in the first visa application and since we had confirmed flight reservations too, we lost money in cancellation charges of our seats.

"Ultimately, we ended up selling the concert tickets."

This couple’s story is not an isolated case. A growing number of Pakistanis have taken to social media to express sorrow and frustration over their UAE visa rejections. The lack of clarity behind these decisions has only added to their distress.

A large number of these people had planned their trips specifically to attend Coldplay’s concerts and are now being forced to sell their tickets.

A local Pakistani Facebook page has become inundated with posts from users advertising their Coldplay tickets for resale, trying to recover their costs.

For many people, these tickets represented a dream opportunity to witness one of their favourite bands play live, making the visa rejections all the more disheartening.

"It’s just extremely disappointing and sad to be singled out like this. It has caused us financial loss for no reason, messed up our holiday schedules and has brought a bad taste to us for something we absolutely loved and considered a uniting factor (Coldplay)," the wife, who also wishes to remain anonymous, tells TRT World.

The situation has highlighted a broader issue of visa accessibility for Pakistanis wishing to travel to the UAE. Many Pakistanis have demanded clarity on their visitor visa rejection.

The exact reasons for the rejections remain unclear, but the UAE government has denied any blanket ban on visas for Pakistanis.

The Pakistan embassy in Abu Dhabi issued a statement in July last year urging citizens to adhere to UAE visit visa requirements.

The embassy said travellers must ensure they have the necessary documentation and sufficient funds to cover their stay, or they risk being sent back upon arrival.

It further cautioned against using tourist permits to seek employment without having a concrete job offer.

This advisory followed a surge in cases of Pakistani workers being denied entry at UAE airports due to incomplete paperwork over the past eight months.

"UAE was one place where Pakistanis always felt welcomed. Especially during the global war on terror in the 2000s when we could not get visas to the US, UK and most places in the world, UAE was one place that felt like home," Sara, who wishes to use her first name only, tells TRT World.