BRITISH tourists will be able to visit Dubai this summer as the United Arab Emirates prepares to welcome foreign visitors again from July 7.
The country – which relies heavily on tourism and retail – announced the new travel protocols in a further easing of its coronavirus lockdown.
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Dubai is one of the most popular destinations among British travellers, with 1.2million tourists visiting it in 2019.
The UAE will begin welcoming foreign tourists from July 7, while those with residency visas will be able to enter from today, the Gulf Insider reports.
Those arriving in the country will be required to prove, through certificates, that they have recently tested negative for Covid-19.
In alternative, they could undergo a coronavirus test on arrival at the airport, the Dubai government media office said in a statement on Sunday.
Citizens and residents will also be allowed to travel abroad from tomorrow, June 23.
The statement said: “The new announcement will allow thousands of people affected by the worldwide restrictions in passenger air traffic since the start of the pandemic to resume their travel plans.”
It also added that international health insurance, coronavirus tests and a completed health declaration form were mandatory for tourists visiting Dubai.
The announcement comes more than two months since the UAE introduced strict measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The country halted all passenger flights in March and banned foreign citizens from entering the Gulf Arab state – except those holding UAE residency, who required UAE government approval before returning.
In recent weeks, coronavirus restrictions have been eased allowing the resumption of a few flights.
Domestic restrictions such as the closure of shopping centres have been lifted and private businesses have reopened.
Last week, the UAE allowed citizens and residents to travel to countries deemed low-risk for catching the coronavirus.
Dubai welcomed a record 16.73 million tourists in 2019, The Jakarta Post reports.
By country, Indian tourists topped arrivals with nearly two million visiting Dubai.
They were followed by 1.6 million Saudi visitors to the city-state and 1.2 million British tourists.
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