Commercial passenger flights in and out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi were grounded on March 24, but UAE airlines are operating outbound repatriation flights for those in the country trying to get home and Emirates and Etihad have also started inbound flights for residents and nationals trying to return to the UAE.
What are repatriation flights?
They are government-approved services intended to take people back to their home countries.
The majority of repatriation flights will only accept passengers who are permanent residents or citizens of a destination, while some may take travellers who are from neighbouring countries so they can then make their way home.
How can I book a repatriation flight?
Most passengers can book these flights online via an airline's website, and travellers typically do not need permission from their embassies to travel.
Repatriation flights are generally non-refundable and destination changes are typically not allowed.
The situation is changing by the hour, so it is strongly advised to check your eligibility to travel before booking a ticket for one of these special services. Check with the airline and also review regulations listed on the website for the International Air Transport Association.
What about the flights for residents and nationals returning to the UAE?
Emirates and Etihad are operating special passenger services for nationals and residents of the UAE who want to return to the country.
Travellers who wish to fly back to Dubai or Abu Dhabi must have approval from UAE authorities before booking such a flight. This can be applied for via the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.
If applications are successful, residents will receive an approval code and a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These documents are required before travellers can book incoming flights. UAE citizenship or residency is also required (remember, residency visas that expired after March 1, 2020 have been extended until the end of December 2020).
"Expats who have their visa expiring after March 1, 2020, will have them valid until the end of December this year whether they are inside or outside the country," said Brig Khamis Al Kaabi, of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship last month.
How can I book a flight back to the UAE?
Bookings for return flights can be made online via Emirates or via Etihad's call centre. These flights cannot be booked via travel agents.
Etihad will request the approval code from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before allowing travellers to book a flight.
Emirates allows travellers to book flights online, but all passengers must show a letter of approval at check-in. Passengers who do not have this will be denied boarding.
Online check-in is not available and travellers will be pre-assigned seats following social distancing rules. If you are travelling as a family, you can advise staff of this upon check-in and operational teams will allocate seating accordingly where possible. No cabin baggage is allowed on flights other than handbags, laptop bags, briefcases and baby items.
Upon arrival in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, passengers will need to undertake a nasal swab test and pass thermal sensors. All incoming passengers must self-isolate for 14 days.
Here is everything you need to know about passenger flights to the UAE...
Emirates: To Dubai from London and Frankfurt
Emirates is operating inbound flights to Dubai from Germany and the UK.
From Frankfurt, flights are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from May 11. One-way fares start from €591 (Dh2,364).
From London, Emirates will operate flights on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from May 10. One-way fares in economy class start from £551 (Dh2,511).
Etihad: From Europe and Asia
Etihad is operating inbound flights from 16 destinations to Abu Dhabi with services operating until Monday, June 15.
Europe
- Amsterdam: Mondays and Wednesdays until June 15
- Barcelona: Sundays until June 14
- Dublin: Saturdays until June 13
- Frankfurt: Sundays until June 14
- Geneva: Saturdays until June 14
- London: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until June 15
- Madrid: Saturday, June 13
- Milan: Sundays until June 14
- Paris: Sundays until June 14
Asia
- Jakarta: Fridays until June 12
- Kuala Lumpur: Saturdays until June 13
- Seoul: Fridays until June 12
- Singapore: Wednesdays until June 10
- Tokyo: Wednesdays until June 10
Oceania
- Melbourne: Fridays until June 12
- Sydney: Wednesdays from May 27 until June 10
Outbound repatriation flights: Air Arabia to launch Egypt flights
Low-cost airline Air Arabia will operate repatriation services to Egypt. The outbound flights will help Egyptian nationals in the UAE return home. The special flights will operate from Sharjah International Airport to Cairo International Airport and Borg El Arab International Airport, Alexandria. The flights will depart from Thursday, June 11 until Tuesday, June 16.
The low-cost carrier operated several outbound passenger services from Sharjah during the coronavirus pandemic. The first repatriation flight flew to Lar in Iran on Thursday, April 23.
Air Arabia announced a longer list of destinations for a mix of cargo and passenger flights including Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sudan, Egypt, India and Nepal.
All repatriation flights depart from Sharjah International Airport. Updates will be announced on the airline's website.
Emirates: adds four flights to Egypt
Emirates has added four repatriation flights from Dubai to Cairo to help Egyptian nationals return home. Fares start from Dh2,000 one-way.
All Emirates flights depart from Terminal 3 at the Dubai International Airport. The airline advises passengers to arrive at the airport three hours before departure time and to wear face masks and gloves.
Passengers can book flights directly on emirates.com or via their travel agent. Travellers can check the airline's travel essentials page to find out whether flights are operating to their homeland.
Europe
- London: Daily until June 30. Economy tickets start from Dh2,500.
- Frankfurt: Every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday until June 30. Fares in economy start from Dh2,500.
Asia
- Manila: Friday, June 5 and Wednesday, June 17, subject to government approval.
- Bangkok: Saturday, June 13
Africa
- Accra: Friday, June 12 and Tuesday, June 16
- Conakry: Thursday, June 11
- Dakar: Thursday, June 11
- Cairo: Flights on Sunday, June 14, Thursday, June 18, Friday, June 19 and Sunday, June 21
- Tunis: Friday, June 12
Flydubai: Several flights added to Egypt
Dubai’s low-cost airline is offering repatriation flights to destinations in Europe and Asia from Dubai. Only economy-class tickets are available and fares include 20kg checked baggage allowance.
All Flydubai repatriation flights will operate from Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport. Travellers can book flights online. All scheduled repatriation flights are subject to final government approval and the airline will focus on repatriation and cargo flights until at least Thursday, June 4.
One-way fares from Dh1,510
- Egypt: Daily to Cairo from Friday, June 12 until Wednesday, June 17,
fares from Dh1,800 - Serbia: To Belgrade on Saturday, June 13, fares from Dh2,810
- Finland: To Helsinki on Friday, June 12, fares from Dh2,9600
- Kyrgyzstan: To Bishkek on Sunday, June 21, fares from Dh1,510
- Romania: To Bucharest on Friday, June 12 fares from Dh2,210
- Ukraine: To Kyiv on Monday, June 15, fares from Dh1,810
Etihad: Flights to 17 destinations
Etihad Airways, the national airline for the UAE, has announced it will operate additional special passenger flights from Abu Dhabi to 17 destinations.
Tickets can be booked on Etihad's website. Because of the airline's social distancing rules, online check-in and seat selection is not available.
Here is a breakdown of the additional special services, though scheduling remains subject to change:
Europe
- Amsterdam: Wednesdays and Fridays until May 29 then Mondays and Wednesdays until June 29
- Barcelona: Sundays until June 28
- Brussels: Fridays and Sundays until June 28
- Dublin: Saturdays until June 27
- Frankfurt: Sundays until June 30
- Geneva: Saturdays until June 27
- London: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until June 29
- Madrid: Saturdays until June 27
- Milan: Sundays until June 28
- Paris: Sundays until June 28
- Zurich: Sundays until June 28
Asia
- Jakarta: Thursdays until June 25
- Kuala Lumpur: Saturdays until June 27
- Melbourne: Wednesday, May 20, Friday May 22, Wednesday, May 27 then Thursdays until June 25
- Seoul: Saturdays and Thursdays until June 27
- Singapore: Tuesdays until June 23
- Tokyo: Mondays until June 22
The Abu Dhabi airline plans to gradually restart passenger flights as travel restrictions ease.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
%3Cp%3E6.00pm%3A%20Heros%20de%20Lagarde%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20City%20Walk%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Mimi%20Kakushi%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20New%20Kingdom%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Siskany%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Nations%20Pride%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Ever%20Given%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
RESULTS
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
The%20US%20Congress%2C%20explained
%3Cp%3E-%20US%20Congress%20is%20divided%20into%20two%20chambers%3A%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives%20and%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20435%20members%20make%20up%20the%20House%2C%20and%20100%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20party%20needs%20control%20of%20218%20seats%20to%20have%20a%20majority%20in%20the%20House%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20Senate%2C%20a%20party%20needs%20to%20hold%2051%20seats%20for%20control%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20In%20the%20event%20of%20a%2050-50%20split%2C%20the%20vice%20president's%20party%20retains%20power%20in%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
