No degree, no entry into UAE

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http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/1323714/University_degree_a_must_to_visit_UAE_Report.html

Tourists from certain Asian countries that export labour to the UAE will require a university degree to get a visa as the rich Gulf state fights an illegal influx, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Electricians, pipe fitters, masons, farmers, drivers, tailors and cleaners from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines are now banned from obtaining a tourist visa, Gulf News daily said citing a senior immigration official.

The new measure sets a university degree as a prerequisite to obtain a visa, the official said.

The UAE has millions of foreign workers, mostly from South Asian countries.

The expat-dominated population is estimated to have grown to around 8.2 million by the end of 2010, with UAE nationals making up only 11.47 per cent.