Interactive:
Do crashes make you think twice about flying? Have your say.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) --The United Arab Emirates says it will cancel a rule requiring expatriates to leave the country to change their visas, after more than 30 workers on a visa change trip were killed in a plane crash.
Under UAE regulations, expatriates, who make up 85 percent of UAE's population of 3.8 million, need to briefly leave the Gulf Arab state to switch employers or change visit visas into residence permits.
"President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan told the council of ministers to issue the necessary regulations and directives and to cancel the exit requirement," the official WAM news agency said.
The plane was flying from Iran's Kish Island in the Gulf to the emirate of Sharjah when it crashed on Tuesday, killing 43 people - mostly migrant workers -- of the 46 passengers and crew. Most of the passengers were from Iran, India and Egypt.
Kish, which Iran is promoting as a free trade zone and a holiday destination, is one of several destinations where foreign workers seeking to change visas travel.
An Iranian delegation arrived last night in Sharjah to inspect the crash site and meet UAE officials, Civil Aviation official Abdel Wahab al-Rumi told Reuters.
Rumi said the two black boxes were in the custody of civil aviation authorities. Officials have blamed a technical fault for the crash.
Copyright 2004 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
