France and Italy have emerged as the most popular visa destinations for UAE residents, according to new data from travel technology firm Atlys.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, and Australia round out the top six most requested visa destinations on the platform, which has seen application volumes double monthly since its UAE launch earlier this year in August.
“November saw our highest growth rate with a 144 per cent month-on-month increase, driven by December’s peak travel season,” said Mohak Nahta, CEO of Atlys.
The data also revealed significant demand for visas to Azerbaijan, Spain, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Morocco, and Turkey, which highlighted the diverse travel preferences among UAE residents.
A recent five-day promotional campaign by the company resulted in over 10,000 visa applications, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 42 per cent of applications, followed by Schengen countries at 22 per cent and the United Kingdom at 12 per cent.
The surge in visa applications extends to UAE residents applying on behalf of friends and family, indicating strong inbound travel during the peak winter season. The platform, which launched in the UAE in August 2024, has processed over 80,000 visas in the country to date, according to company data.
“We’re seeing unprecedented demand for both outbound and inbound visa processing as we enter the winter travel period,” Nahta added.
This comes as Dubai Airports, the city’s airport operator, announced an expected annual forecast of 93 million passengers by the end of the year. This figure is expected to account for passengers travelling through Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport.
The UAE capital of Abu Dhabi has also seen a massive influx in travellers this year – a 31.2 per cent increase year-on-year – with over 21 million passengers recorded during the first 9 months of the year alone.
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