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saudi arabian airline

Kingdom moves to relax coronavirus restrictions, including allowing fully vaccinated residents to return from red-list countries;


Saudi Arabia will lift travel restrictions on the UAE, South Africa and Argentina on 8th September Wednesday morning, the kingdom's Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday.

From 11am on Wednesday morning, Saudi Arabia will allow people to travel to the three nations that have been on its red list.

The Ministry of Interior said the decision was based on the kingdom's evaluation of the Covid-19 situation, state media reported.

The change comes as part of a relaxation in coronavirus measures in the kingdom, including allowing vaccinated residents to return to Saudi Arabia, even from red list countries.

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Travel to the UAE Capital

The list was updated to add Bhutan, Comoros, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Maldives, Monaco, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.


Travel to the UAE Capital: Green List PCR Tests for Quarantine-Free Entry


Passengers travelling from countries on the green list must take a PCR test on arrival without the need to quarantine and also take a PCR test on day six.

1. Albania
2. Armenia
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Bahrain
6. Belgium
7. Bhutan
8. Brunei
9. Bulgaria
10. Canada
11. China
12. Comoros
13. Croatia
14. Cyprus
15. Czech Republic
16. Denmark
17. Finland
18. Germany
19. Greece
20. Hong Kong
21. Hungary
22. Italy
23. Japan
24. Jordan
25. Kuwait
26. Kyrgyzstan
27. Luxembourg
28. Maldives
29. Malta
30. Mauritius
31. Moldova
32. Monaco
33. Netherlands
34. New Zealand
35. Norway
36. Oman
37. Poland
38. Portugal
39. Qatar
40. Republic of Ireland
41. Romania
42. San Marino
43. Saudi Arabia
44. Serbia
45. Seychelles
46. Singapore
47. Slovakia
48. Slovenia
49. South Korea
50. Sweden
51. Switzerland
52. Taiwan
53. Tajikistan
54. Turkmenistan
55. Ukraine



 

visit visa can now enter sharjah

UAE authorities on Saturday announced that the country will resume issuing tourist visas from August 30.


UAE Resumes Tourist Visa : Updated Travel Guidelines


Here's everything you need to know before you arrive in the UAE: Travel Guidelines

  • Passengers arriving on tourist visas must take a mandatory rapid PCR test at the airport on arrival.

  • Travellers wishing to receive the benefits provided to those vaccinated in the UAE can register their vaccination via the ICA platform or Al Hosn application.

  • All previous rules for those unvaccinated, including exempted categories, remain in place.

  • Tourists will need to be vaccinated with one of the WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines.

  • Tourist visas are also open for passengers from where travel was previously restricted.

  • Application for tourist visas will be open to people from all countries starting August 30.Read more....

Green list countries



Green list countries







You won’t need to quarantine if you’re travelling on a direct flight to United Arab Emirates from any of the countries below.



























































  • Albania




  • Armenia




  • Austria




  • Australia




  • Bahrain




  • Belgium




  • Brunei




  • Bulgaria




  • Canada




  • China




  • Czech Republic




  • Germany




  • Hong Kong, China




  • Hungary




  • Jordan




  • Kuwait




  • Malta




  • Mauritius




  • Moldova




  • Netherlands




  • New Zealand




  • Poland




  • Republic of Ireland




  • Romania




  • Saudi Arabia




  • Serbia




  • Seychelles




  • Singapore




  • South Korea




  • Sweden




  • Switzerland




  • Taiwan, China




  • Ukraine










Travel corridors







If you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you will not be required to quarantine when you travel between the UAE and the following destinations:











  • Bahrain




  • Greece




  • Serbia




  • Seychelles



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Countries eligible for visa on arrival in UAE

UAE announced visa on arrival for some countries, The visa must be issued in Abu Dhabi.


Etihad Airways said passengers landing at Abu Dhabi airport can head straight to the immigration counter to receive visas when they arrive from these 70 countries (see list below).

For tourists landing in the UAE capital, the visa must be issued in Abu Dhabi.

In addition, if the traveler is already in the UAE and his resident visa has been cancelled or his tourist visa has expired, he can apply for a Long Term Tourist Visa Single Entry.

“You can apply for the tourist visa whilst you are in the UAE to avoid any fines or legal implications. Once your visa is approved, you will need to complete the status change application at Etihad Airways Headquarters in Abu Dhabi,” said the Abu Dhabi-based carrier.


Etihad said those Indian citizens who have a US visitor visa or Green Card or holding the UK or European residency with a validity of six months are eligible for a visa on arrival in the UAE.

They will get a visa which will be valid for a maximum stay of 14 days and costs Dh100. The visa is extendable for another 14 days once only by paying the renewal fee of Dh250.

Travellers from the following countries will receive a visa on arrival in Abu Dhabi:

• Andorra

• Argentina

• Australia

• Austria

• Bahamas

• Barbados

• Belgium

• Brazil

• Brunei

• Bulgaria

• Canada

• Chile

• Colombia

• Costa Rica

• Croatia

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic

• Denmark

• Estonia

• Finland

• France

• Germany

• Greece

• Honduras

• Hong Kong (SAR of China)


• Hungary

• Iceland

• Ireland

• Italy

• Japan

• Kazakhstan

• Latvia

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Malaysia

• Maldives

• Malta

• Mexico

• Monaco

• Montenegro

• Nauru

• Netherlands

• New Zealand

• Norway

• People’s Republic of China


• Peru

• Poland

• Republic of Mauritius

• Republic of El Salvador

• Portugal

• Romania

• Russian

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

• San Marino

• Serbia

• Seychelles

• Singapore

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Solomon

• South Korea

• Spain

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• The Vatican

• Ukraine

• United Kingdom

• United States of America


• Uruguay

Discover more in our upcoming blog...

UAE Residency Visa

UAE residents whose visas had expired have been granted the automatic visa renewal.


UAE Residency Visa: 3-Month Automatic Extension


An Amer center call employee in Dubai told Khaleej Times that those stranded abroad with expired visas have been granted automatic renewal on their expired residency visas until December 9, including the one-month grace period.

"However, before travelling into the UAE, they need to apply for a pre-travel GDRFA approval and adhere to all other RT-PCR testing protocols set by the government," the call center agent explained.

Travel agents who have been trying to get pre-travel approvals for residents stranded in India and Pakistan, for example, have also confirmed that their clients have been granted an automatic visa extension.

The agents have reiterated that the automatic extension has only been awarded to Dubai residency visa holders. The status of residents in other emirates is not immediately clear.

Residents who've stayed outside the UAE for over six months can also return.

Afi Ahmed, the managing director of Smart Travels, explained: "In the case of expired visas, what we are noticing is that our clients, whose visas expired after June, July, and are holders of active visas are the only ones who are receiving the automatic three-month-long extension. Several passengers whose visas expired during the months of May to early June, for example, are yet to receive the exemptions."

He added, "Even those who have stayed outside of the UAE for over 180 days and have received Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship (ICA) or GDRFA approvals can return. Airlines are accepting these categories of passengers. However, it is important to note that these exemptions are only in place for Dubai residency visa holders."

Rashid Abbas, the managing director of Arooha Travels, said, "We noticed that the system was updated early Wednesday morning. Our agency has been working with some cases where the visas of parents were valid, but their baby daughter's visa had expired on July 22."

"While applying for the pre-travel GDRFA this morning, we noticed that her visa expiry date had been automatically extended to December 9," he explained.

He added, "Upon checking with the visa validity website, we found that many have been granted an extension. However, some visas continue to show an expired status. We hope the exemption would eventually be granted to all those seeking re-entry into the UAE."

Raheesh Babu, the group chief operating officer of Musafir.com, an online travel agency, explained, "We can confirm that a lot of our clients seeking re-entry have been granted an automatic extension until December 9. However, we are also awaiting clarity on those holding entry permits issued by Dubai. We have a lot of our corporate customers who want to fly in their new employees with entry permits."

Dinesh Ishwardas, an expatriate stranded in India with an expired visa, said, "My visa expired on July 19. When I checked the GDRFA website, I saw that I had received an automatic extension until December 9. I am planning to return to my family in UAE as soon as possible."

credit: Khaleejtimes

Stay tuned for our latest blog update...

UAE open for 11countries

Authorities in the UAE made an announcement on Tuesday that brought relief and joy to expats stranded in six countries from where passenger entry was suspended.


Seven new categories of stranded residents can travel back to the UAE from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria and Uganda, as on August 5.

Here is all we know so far.

Are only vaccinated residents allowed to travel back to the UAE?

No. Residents fully vaccinated against Covid-19 are just one of the seven new categories added to the exempted list.

According to the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), stranded expats with valid residency visas must have received two doses of vaccine in the UAE. At least 14 days must have passed since receiving the second dose, and they must hold a certificate to this effect.

Are residents vaccinated in their home countries allowed to travel back?

It is not immediately clear whether this is the case. The NCEMA statement clearly mentions that the vaccine doses must have been taken in the UAE.

However, the dedicated web page of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) – from where stranded residents must get an approval to fly back – lists seven vaccines. This list comes under the ‘vaccine information’ tab.

Are unvaccinated residents allowed to travel back?

Residents working in key sectors are among the unvaccinated expats allowed to return. The following categories are allowed to return, irrespective of their vaccination status:

  • Medical personnel working in the UAE: Doctors, nurses and technicians

  •  Teachers at universities, colleges, schools and institutes

  • Students in UAE

  •  Employees of federal and local government authorities

  •  Humanitarian cases, provided they have valid residency

  • Those undergoing treatment in the UAE


What is the procedure for stranded residents to return?

According to the NCEMA, exempted residents must get an approval from the ICA. This approval can be obtained from the ICA website.

They must hold a negative result from a PCR test taken no later than 48 hours from the time of departure. The test must be taken at an accredited lab and the results must have a QR code.

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Expo 2020 Dubai Pavillion

Experience some of the greatest culture the world has to offer in 173 days of celebration in Dubai.


What dates does the Dubai Expo run from and to?


The General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) has approved the  Expo 2020 Dubai date to take place between 1st October 2021 and 31st March 2022.
Where is the Expo 2020 site?

It’s all happening in the Dubai South district, near Al Maktoum International Airport. There will be a lot of dedicated transport heading to the site 4.38 sq km site, and a metro station is being built that can handle 44,000 passengers per hour. With an influx of international visitors expected, Dubai International Airport is also working to upgrade its runways, while new hotels are springing up near the Dubai Expo 2020 site.
So what’s happening?

An expo is a world fair, bringing together hundreds of countries from across the globe – giving them the chance to share ideas and innovations with the rest of the world. The first-ever was held in The Crystal Palace in London’s Hyde Park in 1851, and since then, many of history’s most famous inventions have been exhibited, including the telephone in 1876, the ice cream cone in 1904 and even a humanoid robot in Nagoya in 2005. Back in November 2013, Dubai won the right to host  Dubai Expo 2020 – becoming the first country ever in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia to do so. Fireworks exploded from the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab. A national holiday was declared for all educational institutions across the country. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, promised the city would “astonish the world”, come 2020. And now it’s happening.
What will the impact be on Dubai?

Since Dubai Expo 2020 was anounced in November 2013, it’s had a huge impact on the city – and that’s only going to grow as we get closer to the date. Officials say that it’s going to create a staggering 111,000 new jobs and the real estate market will rocket. That’s not to mention the huge urban District 2020 that will have a long-lasting legacy for centuries after the event is over. Even the city’s infrastructure is taking part, with Jebel Ali Lehbab Road renamed as Expo Road in honour of the event. Organizers say the event is set to attract millions of visitors, with 70 percent coming from outside the UAE, so we can expect to see a boom in tourism too.
What will be there to see?

The Dubai Expo 2020 site will feature pavilions dedicated to countries from around the world, with 75 entertainment events hosted every single day. There will be live performances from world-famous stars and comedy greats, cultural experiences from poetry slams to fashion shows and talks with the world’s top academics. There will be mindfulness sessions, extreme sports and everything in between. And there will be innovation – whether it’s make-your-own robot workshops or exhibitions showcasing the latest 3D printing technology. It’s even possible to go under the sea or walk through a simulated Arabian wadi at the interactive Terra Exhibition. Every day during the 173 days of Expo 2020, a different country will be featured in a cultural showcase that includes parades and other festivities. And the fun doesn’t stop at sunset, because there will be fireworks displays and entertainment into the early hours. Basically, it’ll be massive.

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