Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates closed their borders in March 2020 in an attempt to prevent the spread of transmission of the coronavirus. Since then, the country has been shut except for returning nationals. Even returning resident permit holders have been held off so far. However, this will change with immediate effect.

Dubai to open its borders on June 22, 2020, onwards.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management of Dubai has announced new air travel protocols for Dubai citizens, residents and visitors. The key highlights are:

• Dubai to welcome returning residents from June 22, 2020, onwards.
• Citizens and residents permitted to travel overseas from June 23, 2020.
• Dubai will welcome tourists from July 7, 2020, onwards. Tourists will be required to present a recent COVID-19 negative certificate or undergo testing at Dubai airports.

Returning Residents will be admitted from June 22 onwards.

Resident permit holders who were outside the country and will return to Dubai from June 22, 2020, onwards, will have to be pre-approved by Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, through a direct link with the airlines. All returning passengers will be tested with the PCR test at Dubai Airport. Those who will test positive for CoVid-19 will be put under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The residents must fill a ‘Health Declaration Form’ before embarking on their journey to confirm they do not have COVID-19 symptoms. The airline has the right to refuse to board if passengers display any signs of COVID-19. Residents should register their complete details in the COVID-19 DXB smart app available online on arrival and before leaving the terminal. Residents entering Dubai should not leave their house until they receive their COVID-19 test result. If they test positive, they will have to home isolate themselves for 14 days.

Residents sharing homes or living in high-density housing facilities will be isolated at an institutional facility if they test positive. The resident’s employer should make arrangements for the isolation facility following guidelines approved by the COVID-19 Command and Control Centre or bear the costs of a paid isolation facility provided by the government.

Here are the detailed procedures as notified by Dubai.

This is a more liberal approach as compared to the UAE overall approach, where a pre-approval from ICA was required.

Citizens and Residents of Dubai will be allowed to travel overseas from June 23 onwards.

Citizens and residents of Dubai will be allowed to travel abroad subject to the destination airport being open. On their return, they will be tested with the PCR test at Dubai Airport. Those who will test positive for CoVid-19 will be put under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Here are the detailed procedures as notified by Dubai.

Tourists will be admitted from July 7, 2020, onwards.

Tourists and visitors will be allowed to enter Dubai from July 7, 2020, onwards. However, they will need to produce a CoVid-19 negative test (PCR test) which will be valid only for 96 hours from the time of the test result. If they do not provide a recent CoVid-19 negative test report, they will have to be tested at Dubai Airport. If there is a positive case for CoVid-19, they will be admitted under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

All arrivals will be subject to thermal screenings. If a traveller is suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms, Dubai airports have the right to re-test to ensure the tourist is free of the virus. It is mandatory for tourists who test positive for COVID-19 to register their details on the COVID-19 DXB app and isolate themselves at an institutional facility provided by the government for 14 days at their own expense.

Here are the detailed procedures as notified by Dubai.

Bottomline

Dubai is a hub for business in the Middle-East with various companies setting up their Middle-Eastern headquarters there over the past. Tourism is the mainstay for Dubai as well. So, this is an excellent start for Dubai to open up. It will also be the template for how most places will open up going forward, with a provision for quarantine as well as the authority to test passengers for the virus on arrival. This becomes a viable option for those who have an urgent need to travel in the first place to Dubai for whatever reasons.

What do you think about the new rules of admission into Dubai, and will you be back there anytime soon for a business or pleasure trip?

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