Why Dubai Luxury Stores Want Nigerian Shoppers, Say Sales Low Without Them
- Nigerians make up about 18 per cent of shoppers in Dubai, according to shop owners who lament their absence
- The recent visa ban by the United Arab Emirates is impacting luxury shops in the Arab country
- Recently, the United Arab Emirates place visa restrictions on Nigerians without explanation
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The absence of Nigerian shoppers in this year’s festive season is having a huge impact on luxury stores in Dubai.
The recent visa ban by the United Arab Emirates is to blame for the conspicuous absence of high-net-worth Nigerians in Dubai.
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Shop owners say Nigerians are biggest shoppers
Dubai has remained the most frequently visited destination by Nigerians during the Christmas season.
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Many Nigerians who frequented the Arab city for luxury goods such as gold, jewellery, wristwatches, clothes, fabrics, shoes and other accessories are looking for other destinations to shop at during the Christmas period.
Some of the shop owners in Dubai complain of slow business and low sales, according to a BusinessDay report.
The report cited comments from some shop owners who say Nigerians are some of their biggest shoppers.
Nigerians remain crucial to the revenue of most luxury shop owners in Dubai.
In September, the United Arab Emirates stopped issuing visas to Nigerians. All applications submitted since October were rejected after paying non-refundable fees.
Destination Management Companies (DMCs) announced in a statement that Dubai immigration officials had stopped issuing visas to Nigerians.
There was no official statement from the UAE government over the ban.
Dubai missing millions in revenue from Nigerians
In 2016, the economic downturn made it hard for Nigerians to travel to the Arab country coupled with dollar scarcity and high airfares.
The country’s exports to UAE amounted to $88.92 million in 2021, United Nations COMTRADE data on international trade says.
The route was one of the top business and holiday destinations for Nigerians with a weekly passenger volume estimated at about 10,000 passengers and Emirates airlines had the largest lump of traffic.
Emirates brought an average of 900 passengers to Lagos and Abuja from Dubai daily while other airlines brought passengers via connecting flights.
Emirates is reportedly losing N30,000 per ticket sale and about N270 million or N650,000 weekly from ticket sales from Nigerians.
UAE imposes total visa ban on Nigerians, sends woman to jail for posting detained travellers at airport
Legit.ng reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) immigration authorities have imposed a visa ban on Nigerians.
The Nation reports that the middle east country notes that all submitted applications will be rejected and fees non-refundable.
The development is the latest in a series of back and forth between the Nigerian authorities and the UAE immigration authorities on visa restrictions and their engagement with Nigerians who wish to visit.
Source: Legit.ng
