United Arab Emirates opens up to vaccinated tourists

• Author: AVI STERN
• Published date: 26 September 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The move, which comes in an effort to rebuild the country's tourism sector to pre-pandemic levels, was met with positive reactions from travelers.

According to Emirates News Agency, the official state-run news, this recent decision to relax requirements applies to citizens of all countries. This includes those who have a visa to the UAE, as well as those traveling from previously-banned countries like India, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

The United Arab Emirates government has noted that the new rules will come with a handful of requirements.

Perhaps the most important rule is that the traveler must be vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine, which currently includes AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, and Sinopharm.

The United Arab Emirates is no stranger to such vaccines, as they had one of the world's fastest vaccine rollouts alongside Israel, Bahrain, and the United Kingdom. At the moment, the United Arab Emirates is close to having 80% of its population fully vaccinated, with 90% of locals having at least one dose.

Once travelers arrive in the country, they must take a mandatory Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at the airport.

The new rules, which came into effect on August 30, are sure to boost the country's economy, especially as the travel and tourism sector makes up more than 12 percent of the United Arab Emirates' GDP.

As the government noted, the new rules "... come as part of the country's strategy to create a balance between public health and the activities of vital sectors, and in support of the national efforts to achieve sustainable recovery and economic growth."

The United Arab Emirates are also gearing up to host one of the country's biggest events: the Dubai Expo 2020. Although it was delayed by more than a year due to the pandemic, this world expo is set to open up in October and last until March of next year.

The Dubai Expo is estimated to bring in more than 25 million people over the course of 182 days, where each participating country will have their own pavilion and a chance to enjoy immersive experiences across a range of industries.

Besides the 2020 Expo, incoming tourists are treated to a multitude of things to do in the United Arab Emirates all year 'round. It's no wonder why the country had almost 17 million visitors in 2019!

For starters, the tallest building in the world — as well as a major tourist attraction in its own right — is located in the UAE. The 828-meter Burj Khalifa fits everything in...