The UAE on Tuesday announced it would waive overstay fines for Iranian citizens facing delays leaving the Emirates because of travel restrictions imposed due to the Israel-Iran conflict.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) said the measures would apply to residents and visitors holding any type of entry visa.
The decision has been made under the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed in solidarity with those caught up in “exceptional circumstances” affecting the region.
Emirates has suspended flights to the Iranian capital Tehran until June 30 and flydubai has halted services to Iran until the same date.
Iran closed its airspace following a barrage of missile attacks launched by Israel on Friday. The two countries have continued to trade fire.
“This measure comes in response to the exceptional circumstances in the region and aims to ease the burden on this group, who have been unable to return to their home country due to airspace closures and flight suspensions,” the ICP said in a statement on Tuesday.
Iranian citizens in the UAE are urged to register for the exemption through the smart services platform or visit Customer Happiness Centres across the country.
Call for diplomacy
The UAE was among a group of 20 countries who have criticised the situation in the Middle East, caused by what they called Israel’s aggression against Iran. The group called for diplomacy and dialogue to restore stability.
The foreign ministers of Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya and Mauritania rejected military campaigns as a solution. Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Oman also condemned the escalation.
“There’s an imperative need to halt Israeli hostilities against Iran, which comes during a time of increasing tension in the Middle East, and to work towards de-escalation, to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire and restoration of calm,” a joint statement said.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
INVESTMENT PLEDGES
Cartlow: $13.4m
Rabbitmart: $14m
Smileneo: $5.8m
Soum: $4m
imVentures: $100m
Plug and Play: $25m
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Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
