The Government of Antigua & Barbuda is moving speedily to implement a number of policies and agreements aimed at drawing investment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including visa free travel and the recent signing of an Airline Services Agreement (ASA).
According to Antigua & Barbuda’s Ambassador to the UAE, Casroy James, the decision to grant the approximately one million UAE citizens visa-free access to the country is being gazetted.
“Once that is done, it can go to the respective airline companies and stakeholders to implement. But it was granted by our prime minister since early this year,” he said emphasising that the policy applied to “citizens of the UAE” and not “everyone in the UEA”.
During a brief ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister, yesterday, Minister of Civil Aviation Sir Robin Yearwood signed an ASA with Director General of Civil Aviation in the General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE, Saif Al Suwaidi.
Al Suwaidi expressed confidence that Antigua & Barbuda would soon become a hub for airlines from the UAE where air travel is a major industry.
James said, “We’re … basically putting the framework in place for us to see and welcome capital and visitors from that part of the world,” adding that just one of their airlines had the capacity to significantly increase air traffic to and from Antigua & Barbuda.
James also revealed that the new embassy which the government plans to establish in Abu Dhabi would be operational within months.