This is an updated story
The UAE has eased travel restrictions from six countries on its flight ban list to allow some residents, who are stuck abroad, to fly back to the Emirates.
The government said all vaccinated individuals, as well as unvaccinated people in certain job categories, can seek permission to return from August 5.
The decision includes people who are in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria and Uganda.
Travellers must have a valid UAE residency and have proof of having received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine in the Emirates.
Residents of all emirates other than Dubai must apply for permission to return on the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) website. Dubai residents need ICA approval and another from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.
People should apply on the ICA link after they get a negative PCR test prior to flying to comply with the test validity requirements.
They will also need to confirm with the airline about the 72-hour or 48-hour validity of the test before boarding, depending on the country of departure.
Many airports in India have rapid PCR testing booths to help handle a surge of travellers to Dubai when flights resume.
The rapid testing booths can return results in four hours.
Here is a list of major airports in India that offer rapid PCR tests:
Mumbai International Airport: The test costs Dh90 (4,500 Indian rupees) with results given within two hours. Tests can be booked online.
Delhi International Airport: The test costs Dh39 and results are given within four to six hours. Passengers are advised to book an appointment four to six hours before departure.
Bengaluru International Airport: Test results are available in less than 15 minutes. There are two testing units, while passengers can also be tested at Aster Airport Medical Centre.
Kolkata International Airport: Test results are available within eight hours and cost Dh74. Unlike other airports, passengers can only be tested between 10am and 6pm and need to collect their results from the testing centre.
Kochi International Airport: Passengers can get their test results within 24 hours. The cost is Dh84.
Ahmedabad International Airport: The testing centre at the airport offers RT-Lamp (reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) tests, which are the equivalent of a rapid PCR test. The results are given in 30 minutes and the test costs Dh223.
Of 34 international airports in India, a third operate flights to Dubai.
International airports in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, cities in Kerala, also offer rapid PCR tests.
The airports will also outsource testing to private healthcare providers for quick results, Indian media reported.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
