Dubai aims to welcome back visitors from July

Dubai has signalled it wants reopen borders and welcome visitors back from the middle of the year.

The Emirate has already started easing its lockdown restrictions, starting with cafes and restaurants reopening with 30% capacity, while shopping centres are beginning to open partially.

Speaking on Bloomberg TV, Helal Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said the decision would be based on bilateral discussions with other countries.

Al Marri advised "is it going to be July when things start slowly opening up? Is it going to be September? We just need to make sure we’re ready if things come earlier than expected."

The United Arab Emirates halted all incoming flights on 24th March, but one possible way to bring air services back quickly would be through increased passenger testing for the Coronavirus.

Emirates previously introduced Covid-19 tests, which take just 10 minutes, on a flight from Dubai to Tunisia, with Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha suggesting the tests could be expanded for other flights.

Amid concerns that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic will impact visitation to Expo 2020 Dubai, the UAE Government has proposed new dates for the event. Expected to attract over 10 million foreign visitors, Expo 2020 Dubai remains scheduled to start on 20th October 2020 before closing on 10th April 2021. However, in light of recent global events, UAE officials have suggested postponing the event for 12 months.