• Albania. Courtesy Yves Alarie / Unsplash
    Albania. Courtesy Yves Alarie / Unsplash
  • Béjaïa, Algeria. Unsplash/ Walid Amghar
    Béjaïa, Algeria. Unsplash/ Walid Amghar
  • Armenia. Unsplash
    Armenia. Unsplash
  • Australia
    Australia
  • Austria. Joss Woodhead / Unsplash
    Austria. Joss Woodhead / Unsplash
  • Baku, Azerbaijan. Unsplash/ Lloyd Alozie
    Baku, Azerbaijan. Unsplash/ Lloyd Alozie
  • Manama, Bahrain. Charles Adrien Fournier / Unsplash
    Manama, Bahrain. Charles Adrien Fournier / Unsplash
  • National Library of Belarus, Minsk. Unsplash/ Eugene Krasnaok
    National Library of Belarus, Minsk. Unsplash/ Eugene Krasnaok
  • Bruges, Belgium. Olivier Depaep / Unsplash
    Bruges, Belgium. Olivier Depaep / Unsplash
  • Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unsplash/ Luka Korica
    Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unsplash/ Luka Korica
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Unsplash/ Agustin Diaz Gargiulo
    Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Unsplash/ Agustin Diaz Gargiulo
  • Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Courtesy Deniz Fuchidzhiev / Unsplash
    Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Courtesy Deniz Fuchidzhiev / Unsplash
  • Angkor Wat, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia. Unsplash/ James Dickson
    Angkor Wat, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia. Unsplash/ James Dickson
  • Toronto, Canada. Alex Shutin / Unsplash
    Toronto, Canada. Alex Shutin / Unsplash
  • China
    China
  • Comoros. Photo: Michael Runkel /Robert Harding World Imagery / Corbis
    Comoros. Photo: Michael Runkel /Robert Harding World Imagery / Corbis
  • Croatia is welcoming travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Unsplash
    Croatia is welcoming travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Unsplash
  • Cyprus. Unsplash
    Cyprus. Unsplash
  • Prague. Czech Republic. Courtesy Lachlan Gowen / Unsplash
    Prague. Czech Republic. Courtesy Lachlan Gowen / Unsplash
  • Copenhagen, Denmark. REUTERS/Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
    Copenhagen, Denmark. REUTERS/Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
  • Finland Photo: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
    Finland Photo: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
  • Germany
    Germany
  • Greece. Courtesy Responsible Travel
    Greece. Courtesy Responsible Travel
  • Hong Kong
    Hong Kong
  • Budapest, Hungary. Ervin Lukacs / Unsplash
    Budapest, Hungary. Ervin Lukacs / Unsplash
  • Ireland is on the Abu Dhabi Green List again. Unsplash/Jason Murphy
    Ireland is on the Abu Dhabi Green List again. Unsplash/Jason Murphy
  • Italy. Photographer: Giuseppe Aresu/Bloomberg
    Italy. Photographer: Giuseppe Aresu/Bloomberg
  • Japan. Photo: iStockphoto.com
    Japan. Photo: iStockphoto.com
  • Jordan is welcoming travellers and is on the Abu Dhabi green list.
    Jordan is welcoming travellers and is on the Abu Dhabi green list.
  • Kuwait is on the Abu Dhabi Green List but entry for travellers remains severely restricted.. Photograph by Michele Nastasi
    Kuwait is on the Abu Dhabi Green List but entry for travellers remains severely restricted.. Photograph by Michele Nastasi
  • Kyrgyzstan. Photo: William Harbidge
    Kyrgyzstan. Photo: William Harbidge
  • Luxembourg. Photo: Airbnb
    Luxembourg. Photo: Airbnb
  • Maldives. Photo: Angsana Velavaru
    Maldives. Photo: Angsana Velavaru
  • Malta has been added back to the UAE Green List from August 18. Courtesy Unsplash/ Ference Hovarth
    Malta has been added back to the UAE Green List from August 18. Courtesy Unsplash/ Ference Hovarth
  • Mauritius. Courtesy Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
    Mauritius. Courtesy Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
  • Moldova. Courtesy Unsplash
    Moldova. Courtesy Unsplash
  • Monaco. Photo: Rosemary Behan
    Monaco. Photo: Rosemary Behan
  • Yangon, Myanmar. Unsplash/ Alexander Schimmeck
    Yangon, Myanmar. Unsplash/ Alexander Schimmeck
  • Rotterdam, The Netherlands.. Unsplash
    Rotterdam, The Netherlands.. Unsplash
  • New Zealand
    New Zealand
  • Norway's Pulpit Rock. Photo: Andreas Gruhle / visitnorway.com / Innovation Norway
    Norway's Pulpit Rock. Photo: Andreas Gruhle / visitnorway.com / Innovation Norway
  • Oman
    Oman
  • Gdansk, Poland. Courtesy Andrea Anastakis
    Gdansk, Poland. Courtesy Andrea Anastakis
  • Portugal. Photo: Bloomberg
    Portugal. Photo: Bloomberg
  • Qatar. Photo: Four Seasons
    Qatar. Photo: Four Seasons
  • Peles Castle, Romania. Courtesy Majkl Velner
    Peles Castle, Romania. Courtesy Majkl Velner
  • San Marino
    San Marino
  • Saudi Arabia
    Saudi Arabia
  • Karadordev Park in Belgrade, Serbia. Courtesy Dusan Pokusevski
    Karadordev Park in Belgrade, Serbia. Courtesy Dusan Pokusevski
  • Praslin, Seychelles. Tommaso Nervegna / Unsplash
    Praslin, Seychelles. Tommaso Nervegna / Unsplash
  • South Korea. Unsplash
    South Korea. Unsplash
  • Slovakia
    Slovakia
  • Lake Bled in Slovenia.
    Lake Bled in Slovenia.
  • Singapore
    Singapore
  • Travellers from Sweden can fly quarantine free to Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Unsplash/Anatoliy Gromov
    Travellers from Sweden can fly quarantine free to Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Unsplash/Anatoliy Gromov
  • Switzerland
    Switzerland
  • Taiwan
    Taiwan
  • Tajikistan
    Tajikistan
  • Istanbul, Turkey. Unsplash/ Meriç Dağlı
    Istanbul, Turkey. Unsplash/ Meriç Dağlı
  • Turkmenistan
    Turkmenistan
  • Ukraine. Courtesy Kate Nesmieian
    Ukraine. Courtesy Kate Nesmieian

Abu Dhabi Green List: six new countries added to quarantine-free list


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi has updated its Green List, which includes countries from where travellers can fly without having to quarantine in the UAE capital.

Before new restrictions set to come into force on July 1 that will remove Covid-19 quarantine restrictions for most international travellers, six new destinations have been added.

Travellers flying from the US to Abu Dhabi will no longer need to quarantine as the country has been added to the Green List. Unsplash
Travellers flying from the US to Abu Dhabi will no longer need to quarantine as the country has been added to the Green List. Unsplash

The latest names on the list are:

  • Azerbaijan
  • Germany
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Moldova
  • Spain
  • US

It's the first time that the Abu Dhabi Green List has been updated in almost a month. The last update was on Sunday, April 25.

There are now 29 countries and destinations on the list from where travellers can fly to the UAE without the need to self-isolate. Passengers arriving from these destinations need only to undergo PCR testing on arrival at Abu Dhabi Airport.

Anyone visiting from a country not on the Green List must quarantine as part of Abu Dhabi's Covid-19 regulations. Vaccinated travellers need to quarantine for five days, while other travellers must self-isolate for 10 days.

The 29 destinations on the Abu Dhabi Green List

Spain will open to all vaccinated tourists with no quarantine periods from June 7. Unsplash
Spain will open to all vaccinated tourists with no quarantine periods from June 7. Unsplash

Australia

Azerbaijan

Bhutan

Brunei

China

Cuba

Germany

Greenland

Hong Kong (SAR)

Iceland

Israel

Japan

Kyrgyzstan

Mauritius

Moldova

Morocco

New Zealand

Portugal

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Spain

Switzerland

Taiwan (ROC)

Tajikistan

United Kingdom

United States of America

Uzbekistan

Can I travel to the countries on the Abu Dhabi Green List?

Not all countries on Abu Dhabi's list are open for tourism. Travellers should check individual destination requirements for the most recent regulations.

The US is open for travel for people coming from several destinations, including the UAE. All passengers aged 2 and above need a negative pre-departure test result or documentation of recovery from Covid-19 before flying. The CDC says that tourists should quarantine for at least seven days after arriving in the US, but states and territories have their own quarantine requirements.

Kyrgyzstan is also open to travellers with a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arriving in the country. Visa on arrival services are not currently operating and tourists who require a visa must apply for this online before travelling.

Moldova has been added to the Abu Dhabi Green List and is accepting travellers from the UAE. Unsplash
Moldova has been added to the Abu Dhabi Green List and is accepting travellers from the UAE. Unsplash

Tourists are allowed to fly to Moldova from the UAE. Travellers with a negative test result obtained within 72 hours before time of embarkation will avoid any quarantine on arrival.

Until Tuesday, June 1, only citizens and residents of Azerbaijan can fly to the country unless travellers have a pre-arranged approval. Spain is also off-limits to UAE travellers for the moment, but will open to all vaccinated tourists with no quarantine periods from Monday, June 7.

People hoping to visit Germany from the UAE should be aware that the country has been designated as a risk-area since April. This means that anyone travelling to Germany must generally quarantine for 10 days upon arrival. The country is also under lockdown measures and travel for leisure purposes is not recommended.

Other countries on the list accepting travellers are Russia, with citizens and residents of the UAE permitted entry with a mandatory PCR test. The same applies for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Iceland is accepting vaccinated travellers. Unsplash
Iceland is accepting vaccinated travellers. Unsplash

Iceland and Morocco are also open to those travelling from the UAE, although only the latter is accepting unvaccinated visitors and from June 15, 10-days of quarantine will be required for travellers flying to Morocco.

The UK is closed to visitors from the UAE, as it remains on the government's red list. Only British and Irish citizens and anyone with UK residence rights will be admitted to the country, and they must enter mandatory hotel quarantine for 10 days.

In England, this costs £1,750 ($2,430) per passenger, which covers transport, food, accommodation, security and testing.

Tourists are prohibited in Japan, while in Cuba visitors can enter the country with a negative PCR test, but must go into quarantine at their own cost until taking a second PCR test on day five of their stay.

Visits to Portugal are restricted to essential travel only, with entry granted only to EU citizens, third-country citizens with residence rights in an EU country, and those travelling for study, family, health or humanitarian reasons. However, the tourism-heavy country has said it hopes to open up to travellers this summer.

Travellers to Switzerland have to provide a negative PCR test result, and visitors from certain countries have to go into mandatory quarantine for 10 days. The UAE is not currently on the list of countries required to quarantine.

Visitors to Taiwan must go into quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

The UAE has also established travel corridors with four countries in May, meaning vaccinated travellers flying between the UAE and Serbia, Greece, Bahrain and Seychelles do not need to quarantine, irrespective of whether the destinations are on Abu Dhabi's Green List.

What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates

October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)

October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)

November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)

November 28-30: Dubai International Rally

January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)

March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)

April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)

Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Big%20Ape%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20LucasArts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20PlayStation%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs

Engine: 2-litre

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 255hp

Torque: 273Nm

Price: Dh240,000

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer