Expatriates working in the UAE but living in Oman will soon need entry visas from the Omani authorities to cross at Al Hili border.
Entry passes allowing them to move across the border from Al Buraimi to Al Ain without Omani visas will expire next week.
The temporary entry passes, issued by Abu Dhabi’s general directorate of residency and foreigners’ affairs, allowed UAE expatriates with a registered lease in Al Buraimi unlimited exits through Al Hili.
The expiry will mean a mass return of workers to Al Ain, reported Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National.
Low rent has made Al Buraimi a popular destination for workers on UAE residency visas.
A two-bedroom apartment in Al Buraimi can be rented for Dh12,000 a year, compared with more than Dh40,000 in Al Ain, which is only minutes away by car.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
