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Since the start of the pandemic, countries have changed their travel rules on an almost monthly basis, meaning passengers frequently have to alter their plans.
After several changes to the amber and red lists over the summer, British politicians are suggesting that the rules for flying into the UK from the UAE could be revised again.
This could make it easier for UAE residents and Emiratis to visit Britain.
Travelling from the UAE to the UK
At present, people who received their Covid-19 vaccinations in the UK are not required to quarantine if they travel from the UAE to the UK. They need only take a Covid-19 test before they leave the UAE, and again on or before day two after arrival.
However, because the UAE is on the amber List, residents and Emiratis arriving in the UK are required to quarantine at home or in the place where they are staying for 10 nights, with the first day counting as zero.
They must also take Covid-19 tests before they leave the UAE, and again on day two and day eight in the UK. If they want early release from quarantine, they can take a test on day five, under the Test to Release scheme.
James Cleverly, Britain's Minister for Middle East and North Africa, on Saturday said the UK was "finalising arrangements" to include UAE citizens and residents in its plans to allow those fully vaccinated travellers in other countries to visit the UK without needing to quarantine from October 4.
People travelling in the opposite direction – from the UK to the UAE – have two sets of rules to consider, according to which emirate they are visiting.
What are Dubai's entry rules for travel from the UK?
Dubai does not require visitors from the UK to be vaccinated. On check-in, they are required only to show the result of a negative PCR test taken no more than 96 hours before departure, although Emirates airline requires the test to have been taken within 72 hours.
No other types of Covid-19 test are accepted, including antibody tests or home testing kits. Certificates must have been issued by an authorised facility in the passenger's departure country.
Passengers can either use recommended laboratories, or any trusted and certified laboratories in the UK to take a PCR test. National Health Service Covid test certificates are not accepted for travel from the UK.
Travellers must bring an official printed or digital certificate in English or Arabic to check in – SMS certificates are not accepted.
Children under 12 and passengers who have a moderate or severe disability are exempt from the testing requirement.
UAE citizens are also exempt from testing before they leave for Dubai, but they are required to get a Covid-19 test on arrival in the emirate.
Once passengers arrive there is no need for further tests or quarantine, unless they recently travelled to certain countries before boarding a flight in the UK.
Transit passengers may face further testing.
What are Abu Dhabi's rules for travel from the UK?
People travelling from the UK to Abu Dhabi are not required to quarantine if they are fully vaccinated.
However, travellers who are not vaccinated must quarantine for 10 days because the UK is still on Abu Dhabi's red list.
To be fully vaccinated, you must have received two doses of the same vaccine, or one dose of Janssen, at least 14 days before departure.
These should be one of the following vaccinations: AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), AstraZeneca (SK Bioscience Co Ltd. from Korea), Covishield, Janssen, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty), Sinopharm or Sputnik V.
All travellers, regardless of their vaccination status, must also show the result of a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before departure.
The certificate may be printed, or passengers can present the lab report digitally for validation at the airport.
Passengers must also download Al Hosn app before they board the flight. The app is used for tracing Covid-19 cases, and as digital evidence of negative PCR results and vaccination.
Travellers must also register with the ICA Smart Travel Service. This applies to adults and children or infants. It also applies if you are travelling to Dubai or another emirate.
On arrival in Abu Dhabi, vaccinated travellers from the UK are required to take a Covid-19 test. They will also need to take PCR tests on day four and day eight if they remain in the emirate.
Non-vaccinated travellers from the UK are required to quarantine at a home or in their hotel room for 10 days, and take a Covid-19 test on arrival and on day nine. They are not required to wear a tracker wristband, unless they test positive for the coronavirus.
The tests in the airport are free, and Dh50 everywhere else in Abu Dhabi.
Children under 12 and people with severe and moderate disabilities do not need to take a PCR test before they fly.
On arrival, anyone under the age of 16 is exempt from the vaccination and testing requirements listed above.
How to use the Al Hosn app
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
