Japan eases visa rules for UAE tourists

The Japanese government has started to issue multiple-entry visas for visitors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in an effort to draw more tourists and business travelers from the country, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Effective from October 15, Japan allows the issuance of multiple-entry visas valid for up to three years with a 90-day maximum stay period for UAE nationals, the ministry said. It is the first time that Japan has issued multiple-entry visas to visitors from a Middle Eastern country. "As a result of this step, the further development of personnel exchanges between Japan and the UAE is well expected, leading to increases in the number of tourists from the UAE who visit Japan and the improvement of the convenience of business transactions between the two countries," the ministry said. During his visit to Abu Dhabi in May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the plan. The government sets a goal of raising the number of foreign visitors to 18 million per year by 2016.