Afzaal Mahmood speaks during an event in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE Afzaal Mahmood said that a large number of Pakistanis have got jobs in the UAE in recent past with the delivery companies leading the recruitment drive.

“However, I request all those, who want to come here in search of employment opportunities, to be careful while searching for jobs. Unfortunately, some selfish agents are trying to misguide people, so they must make sure the jobs they are being offered are genuine and legal,” he added.

Mahmood advised the Pakistani job seekers to follow legal channels and not to fall victim to fraudulent agents, who lure people with counterfeit job offers.

“We have witnessed that those coming to the UAE on bogus jobs experience variety of challenges. From running short of sufficient funds to court cases and visa expiry, they end up in facing multiple social and legal problems. It’s better to be vigilant before accepting any job offer,” the envoy said.

While talking to the media in Abu Dhabi, the ambassador said that the UAE-based delivery service companies have employed a large number of skilled Pakistani workers over the last couple of years.

“The question I used to face the most was about the visa ban. I want to clarify that there is no such ban on Pakistanis coming to the UAE for work. In fact, more Pakistanis are being employed in different fields particularly in the delivery services sector. I have been told that the Pakistani workers are skilful and efficient,” he said.

Afzaal Mahmood poses for a group photo with Pakistani community members in Abu Dhabi.

While highlighting the federal government priorities, he said, “Now our focus is on four main areas which are trade, investment, tourism and the export of manpower to the UAE.”

The ambassador also shed light on success of the Expo 2020 Dubai, stating that the Pakistan pavilion has hit the praiseworthy milestone of receiving a million visitors since the start of the one of the best cultural and business shows in the world.

“There are around 1.6 million Pakistanis in the UAE and they visited the country’s pavilion in large numbers during the last few months. All the provinces and Kashmir participated in Expo 2020 with their full potential. Collectively they signed more than 100 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) during the period,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also announced the launch of Pakistan Business Forum.

Mahmood urged the business community members to play their part in uplifting Pakistan’s economy. In this regard, he said, the forum will hold monthly meetings to discuss the future strategy to make it a success. He revealed that Pakistan’s exports to the UAE increased significantly last year despite coronavirus pandemic.