UAE residents rebook Eid holiday trips after flights from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka suspended

Sri Lanka was among the most popular destinations for foreign travel this week

Muslims take part in the Eid Al Fitr prayer at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2020. Reuters

A Muslim girl reacts as she prepares for a special prayer in her home during the Eid Al Fitr festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. AFP

Students of a madrasah, or an Islamic school, greet each other after performing the Eid Al Fitr prayer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Getty Images

Indonesian women pray during Eid Al Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan, at a mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia. Reuters

Muslims sit apart as they perform Eid Al Fitr prayers at home during lockdown, to combat coronavirus pandemic, in Kolkata, India. EPA

Three Indonesian women pose for photographs while celebrating Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, at the Taipei Railway Station in Taipei, Taiwan. EPA

Iraqi children play at a playground during celebrations of the Eid Al Fitr in the old city of Iraq's northern Mosul. AFP

Thai Muslims celebrate Eid Al Fitr at The Foundation of the Islamic Centre of Thailand to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Bangkok, Thailand. Getty Images

Syrian children play at a makeshift amusement park as they celebrate Eid Al Fitr in Syria's north-west city of Idlib. AFP

Farood Ahmed with his wife Sana and sons Zaine, Rayan, Usman and daughter Inaya offer Eid prayers at home in Surbiton, London. Reuters

Joint supervisor Mohmed El Idrissi offers supplication behind a glass door that reads 'Eid Mubarak' during the Eid Al Fitr in Falls Church, Virginia, US. EPA

The courtyard and surrounding roads of the closed Grand Camlica Mosque are seen empty in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty Images

Ali Ibrahim Ambar, a trader, salutes Muslims after performing the Eid prayers in Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters

Devotees offer Eid Al Fitr prayers at the Jami mosque, in Herat, Afghanistan. AFP

Residents in the UAE rescheduled or cancelled trips after inbound flights from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal were suspended.

UAE authorities made the announcement on Monday, ahead of the Eid Al Fitr holidays.

Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka have experienced a surge in cases, while Pakistan is struggling to contain a third wave of infections.

The announcement came after the UAE extended the suspension of entry for travellers from India on all flights, as well as for transit passengers coming from the subcontinent.

The temporary ban comes into effect at 11.59pm on Wednesday.

Most of the cases we have dealt with so far are people who were due to fly to Pakistan tonight or early tomorrow morning

Godfrey Lopez from Uranus Travel and Tours in Dubai said 90 per cent of his clients were rescheduling.

“There will be more clients who will start calling soon to either cancel or reschedule, but most chose to change their travel plans to another date,” he said.

Fardan Haneef, operations manager at Deira Travel and Tourist Agency, said he had a handful of holidaymakers who will be impacted.

“We do not have many clients due to return to the UAE from these countries, but we have many that are now cancelling trips out of the UAE,” he said.

“This is still a fresh announcement but most of the cases we have dealt with so far are people who were due to fly to Pakistan tonight or early tomorrow morning.”

Mr Haneef said very few UAE residents would make the decision to travel outside the country in the knowledge they could struggle to return.

His travel agency has received notes from multiple airlines giving options of date changes or cash refunds.

Paul Farrell, owner of Premium Choice Travels in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, had to inform a number of clients of the latest travel update.

A Bangladeshi health worker takes a mouth swab to test for Covid-19 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. On Saturday, officials detected an Indian variant for the first time. AP Photo

A Bangladeshi woman mourns the death of her husband from Covid-19 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. On Saturday, health authorities said a variant from India was detected for the first time. AP Photo

People traverse a rope to board an overcrowded ferry to get home for Eid Al Fitr after government-imposed Covid-19 restrictions on public transport were enforced in Munshiganj, Bangladesh. Reuters

People wait to board a ferry to reach their hometowns ahead of Eid Al Fitr in Munshiganj, Bangladesh. AFP

Deserted streets during Eid Al Fitr mark a nine-day shutdown to prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases in Islamabad. AFP

All business activities are closed, including during Eid Al Fitr holidays, amid a third wave of coronavirus cases in Larkana, Pakistan. EPA

A policeman speaks with commuters in a closed market area in Lahore, Pakistan, after a nine-day shutdown to prevent a surge in coronavirus cases during Eid Al Fitr. AFP

A mass cremation takes place at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. Reuters

Nepalese army personnel wear personal protective equipment at Pashupati cremation centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. EPA

A Covid-19 patient is treated outside a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, as Covid-19 wards run at full capacity. EPA

People wait to get a dose of the Chinese-made Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine in Panadura, a suburb of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo. AFP

Police officers in Colombo, Sri Lanka, detain a person near a main market for not wearing a mask, breaking Covid-19 rules and regulations. Reuters

“We have actioned one cancellation so far for a customer that was due to fly out of Dubai tonight to Colombo in Sri Lanka,” he said.

“We are first trying to secure a refund from the airline and accommodation and then we can look to book him an alternative package holiday to somewhere else or rebook for a later date.

“Lots of people were due to travel over Eid so this will cause some upset but there is nothing they can do when restrictions like this are in place.”

There are also residents who travelled to Pakistan ahead of Eid who are now uncertain when they will be able to return.

Farrah Ali travelled to Pakistan with her husband and two children on May 7 after her mother-in-law fell ill. They were due to return to Abu Dhabi this week.

“We are now in a fix. We can stay here for a long time, but my husband can't as he is the only earner of the family. He works as a banker in Abu Dhabi,” she said.

“We are trying to get a seat for him so he can get back to the UAE as soon as possible, but seats are not available.”

Sehrish Qasim travelled to Pakistan on March 25 with her husband and two children after her mother died.

They were meant to be flying back later this month, as their UAE residence visas are expiring soon.

“Due to this unprecedented situation, we are in complete shock and unable to comprehend what to do next,” she said.

“My daughter's third term has started and her books are back home in the UAE. I just hope and pray that this ban will lift soon so that people who are stranded can go home.”

Travel agents in Pakistan said their businesses have also been impacted as the majority of their clients are people employed in Dubai.

Touqeer Tanveer from Sky Travel and Tours in Islamabad said his clients include workers and families who are UAE residents.

“Many of our clients are stranded here now. A lot of them are workers who came here for Eid and now are not sure when they will go back,” he said.

India's battle with the Covid-19 pandemic - in pictures 

Health workers disinfect a train converted to a Covid-19 care centre after a surge in the number of positive coronavirus cases in Guwahati, India. AP

A worker caring for Covid-19 patients takes a break in the ICU ward at the Holy Family hospital in New Delhi, India. Getty

A worker attends to a patient in the emergency ward at the Holy Family hospital. Getty

Covid-19 patients in the emergency ward at the Holy Family hospital. Getty

Volunteers help with the funeral pyres at a cremation ground in New Delhi. The capital's crematoriums and burial grounds have been overwhelmed during the second wave of the pandemic. AFP

A Covid-19 patient breathes with the help of oxygen provided by a gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs. The tent along the roadside in Ghaziabad is helping people who need oxygen support. AFP

Kashmiris mourn over the coffin of a relative who died of Covid-19 at a graveyard on the outskirts of Srinagar. EPA

Urns containing ashes of dead people, including those who died of Covid-19. The urns are kept at a crematorium in New Delhi and will be immersed after the lockdown. Reuters

A distraught relative of a coronavirus victim at a cremation ground on the banks of the River Ganges at Garhmukteshwar in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Reuters

Masked customers line up outside a pharmacy to buy medicines in Guwahati. AP

A health worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for Covid-19 as others wait their turn outside a field hospital in Mumbai. AP

A health worker takes a break outside a field hospital in Mumbai, India. AP