Russia chases Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman visa-free entry: Diplomat

“The work is currently underway on draft projects regarding visa-free agreements with Mexico and Malaysia, as well as with some island states in the Caribbean (the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia),” Ivanov said, TASS reported.

“Similar agreements are currently under work with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Zambia,” Ivanov added. “Moreover, we are currently in discussions with Hong Kong to extend the visa-free regime term of stay from 14 to 30 days.”

Visa-free travel for Russians

Russians have flocked to the Middle East over the past year.

In 2022, Russian nationals were found to be the biggest international buyers of Dubai real estate, with the city emerging as a safe haven amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty elsewhere, according to brokerage Betterhomes.

Once a niche group of buyers in Dubai, Russians’ interest surged after the war in Ukraine as their nation faced ever tighter sanctions, helping to push the value and number of sales to record levels.

In November, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov visited Abu Dhabi for talks with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE foreign minister. During the meeting, which was held in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, the two foreign ministers discussed bilateral cooperation and the strategic partnership between the UAE and Russia.

The two sides also highlighted the efforts of the two countries to enhance prospects for more collaboration across all fronts.

The visit came close on the heels of meeting between UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg in October, during which Al Nahyan urged Putin to “reduce tensions and find diplomatic solutions to crises” in situations such as the war in Ukraine.