Ireland bridges the Gulf with game-changer for businesses

The city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a region that’s home to around 10,000 Irish. Photo: Getty

Mark Evans

New business opportunities are set to open up to the Gulf region - already the second-most important long-haul market after North America out of Ireland - following a key decision by the Irish authorities.

As flagged by this column late last year, Ireland is ending visa restrictions for citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from next Wednesday. It's a key to doing more business with the UAE, which is home to around 10,000 Irish expats and an area in which some 230 Irish companies do business.