The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has implemented a new travel rule for 13 countries including India. This step has been taken to prevent the spread of highly-infectious delta variants. UAE has banned its citizens from traveling to several countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. These guidelines have been issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MoFAIC) and National Disaster Management (NCEMA).
In a notice issued to Airmen (NOTAM), UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority, said flights from 14 countries, includes Liberia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and South Africa, will remain suspended until 23:59 hours of July 21, 2021. However, cargo flights, as well as business and charter flights, will exempt from the restrictions.
The UAE's National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) had suspended all flights from India on April 24, when the country hit by a second wave of coronavirus. However, UAE citizens and diplomats exempted from the ban. The UAE comprises seven emirates that have been setting their own individual travel policies since the pandemic began. Dubai is about to reopen its borders to foreign visitors from July.
Dubai, the most popular tourism and business hub among the seven emirates, announced on June 19 that restrictions on arrivals from India, South Africa and Nigeria eased from June 23. Now, the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management of Dubai has issued a protocol regarding travel. Under the new changes, entry of UAE nationals from India and South Africa will allow only if the person has had an anti-coronavirus vaccination before traveling to the UAE, and entry from Nigeria will allow to those who have COVID-19 negative report not older than 48 hours.
