Coronavirus: Dubai's new travel rules and testing explained


Rory Reynolds
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Latest: Airline flights and testing for residents and tourists explained

Related: Returning holidaymakers need to show Covid-free certificate - but not Dubai visa holders

Dubai will allow residents to travel abroad from Tuesday - and welcome back tourists from July 7.

Emiratis and expats can travel to any country that has flights operating out of Dubai.

And testing airline passengers for Covid-19 plays a key part of the decision to lift restrictions.

The new system has a series of rules that differ depending on your situation.

Here we explain:

I'm a Emirati or resident travelling abroad. What do I need to know?

- You can travel anywhere abroad, as long as it's on an airline approved to fly in and out of Dubai

- You are not tested before you leave

- But you must sign a Health Declaration Form stating you do not have any Covid-19 symptoms, such as a fever, cough, sore throat or flu-like aches

- Register for the Covid-19 DXB app, so that it can be activated on your return

- Ensure you are up to speed on the rules of the country you are visiting, as you may need to be tested there or undergo a period of quarantine

I'm a Emirati or resident travelling returning home from holiday

- You will receive a PCR test - that's the nasal swab used to identify Covid-19 - when you arrive in the terminal

- You'll be allowed to take a taxi home but need to stay there until the results, which can take several days, are ready. They'll be sent to your app, or you may receive a call

- If you're negative you can leave your home and end your quarantine at that point

- If you're positive, you must by law self-quarantine for at least 14 days and you can expected to be tested several times until you're clear. If you feel ill and need medical help, you should contact the Ministry of Health on 800 11111 or Dubai Health Authority at 800 342.

- Importantly, if you test positive and live in shared or high-density housing, you would be rehoused in a special facility used for patients. Your employer should arrange such a facility, a 'hotel hospital' for example, or choose somewhere provided by the government, who your employer would pay costs to.

I'm a tourist visiting Dubai from July 7. What do I need to know?

- You should take a PCR test up to four days before your flight to Dubai, in a local hospital or private clinic for example. Make sure you take the results to Dubai with you. If the test if valid and recognised and you have no symptoms, you are not tested in Dubai and not quarantined

- If you do not arrange your own test before you fly, you will be swabbed when you land in Dubai. You must self-quarantine until the results are ready

- You must have full medical travel insurance and need to sign a declaration that you will be responsible for any quarantine and treatment costs if you become ill

- Download the Covid-19 DXB app and upload your details to it

I'm a Dubai resident who's been stranded abroad

- Residents holding Dubai-issued visas will be allowed to return to the emirate from Monday - but the application process has not yet been set out

Previously, UAE residents who were stranded abroad had to register for a Residents' Entry Permit via smartservices.ica.gov.ae, run by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA). In the update issued by Dubai on Sunday, there was no reference to the ICA's system, named Tawajudi, which was set up to bring residents home

Instead, Dubai Media Office said there was an approval process co-ordinated by their airline and Dubai's immigration service, GDRFA. The authorities have been contacted for clarification

- In addition, travellers must sign a declaration that you and your insurer will bear the costs of treatment if you get Covid-19

- You do not have to take a PCR test to travel home to UAE

- But you will be tested when you arrive in Dubai and be asked to self-quarantine until your results are ready

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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

Drishyam 2

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5

Match info

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)

Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP5
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results

Stage Two:

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45

2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix

3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates

4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma

5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ

General Classification:

1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03

2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04

3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06

4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10

5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12

'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'

Director:Michael Lehmann

Stars:Kristen Bell

Rating: 1/5

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Essentials
The flights

Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing. 

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets