ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s missions in in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have launched Punjab land record services in the Gulf country, the Pakistani embassy said on Tuesday, marking an important step toward facilitating overseas Pakistanis in accessing land and property-related services in Punjab.

The UAE is home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates who live and work in the Gulf country and send back more than $5 billion in remittances to the South Asian country annually.

The Punjab land record services enable these Pakistanis to remotely access and manage property records in Punjab through Pakistan’s embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate general in Dubai.

Both missions have commenced the issuance of ‘fards,’ or land ownership records, following the launch of the initiative, demonstrating the operationalization of the newly introduced facility.

“The initiative will enable Pakistani nationals residing in the UAE to access essential land-record and property-related services in Punjab without the need to travel to Pakistan,” the Pakistani embassy said.

“It represents a significant step toward providing convenient, transparent and efficient services to overseas Pakistanis and bringing essential government facilities closer to the community.”

The introduction of these services in the UAE is part of the Pakistani government’s broader efforts to enhance digital facilitation and improve access to public services for overseas Pakistanis.

“Pakistani nationals interested in availing the facility may contact the 24/7 helplines of the Embassy and the Consulate General for further information or visit the respective Missions during office hours,” the Pakistani embassy said.

In August 2025, Islamabad had launched digital land record and passport processing services for Pakistanis living in the United Kingdom (UK), which is home to over 1.6 million Pakistanis.