The United Arab Emirates announced that they will resume issuing visas to all tourists vaccinated against Covid-19 from Monday (one month before the opening of Expo 2020), which has been delayed for one year due to the health crisis.
The introduction of the new measures comes as the oil-rich Gulf country’s infection rate has fallen, and the country’s recorded cases last week for several days fell below 1,000 for the first time in months.
The state-run WAM news agency reported on Saturday that the move to reopen the doors for vaccinated tourists from all over the world aims to “achieve sustainable recovery and economic growth.”
To travel to Emirates, you need to be vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved by the World Health Organization, namely AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinopharm, and Kexing.
“The ruling applies to citizens of all countries, including citizens of previously banned countries,” WAM said.
The agency added that any passenger travelling to Emirates on a tourist visa will need to undergo a PCR test at the airport.
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven principalities, including the capitals Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Their measures and vaccination rules against the coronavirus are still different.
Life across the country has basically returned to normal, but residents must abide by strict social distancing rules and must wear masks outdoors and in public places.
With the opening of the World Expo in October, Dubai hopes to fill the crowd with tourists after a year and a half of its health crisis.
With almost no oil and the most diverse economy in the Gulf, Dubai has relied heavily on tourism and entertainment in recent years.
With the Covid-19 pandemic hitting the tourism industry severely, Dubai is one of the first tourist destinations to open its doors to international tourists in July 2020. Abu Dhabi did the same at the end of December.
In total, the country has recorded more than 715,000 cases of Covid-19, with more than 2,000 deaths.