Abu Dhabi, January 7: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved the issuance of a five-year multi-entry visa for foreign tourists.

The decision was made on Monday during the UAE Cabinet's first meeting of this year chaired by Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Xinhua news agency reporting citing local media as saying.

The move aims to support UAE's tourism sector and consolidate its position as a global tourist destination, it added.

It was however, not immediately clear if a visa application fee would be charged.

Another key decision made during the meeting is the introduction of a visa waiver for Mexican citizens travelling to the UAE.

The two decisions will be implemented during the first quarter of 2020.

Dubai welcomed 15.92 million overnight tourist visitors in 2018, up 0.8 per cent from 2017, according to official data.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 07, 2020 10:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).