Dubai reopens for international tourists

After a nearly four-month closure, Dubai has this week reopened to international tourism, although there will be restrictions on arrivals.

Incoming tourists will be required to present a negative test result taken within four days of the flight. If not, they can take the test on arrival, but must self-isolate until they receive the all-clear.

However, hopes of reviving the Emirate’s tourism economy will largely focus on encouraging those already living in the United Arab Emirates.

Yesterday’s reopening came as the number of COVID-19 cases in the UAE climbed to 52,600 included 326 deaths, with millions of foreign workers living in cramped accommodation particularly hard hit.

Dubai welcomed more than 16.7 million visitors last year, and before the Coronavirus pandemic crippled global travel, the aim had been to reach 20 million arrivals in 2020.

In a video message tweeted on Sunday, Talal Al-Shanqiti of Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs advised “we are ready to receive tourists while we take all necessary precautions.”

With Dubai having built the most diversified economy in the Arabian Gulf, its financial, commercial and tourism sectors have been significantly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic with its first quarter 2020 GDP contracting 3.5%.

Dubai-based airline Emirates, the largest in the Middle East, has been forced to slash its sprawling network and is believed to have laid off thousands of staff.

Commenting on the reopening of the economy, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing Chief Executive, Issam Kazim advising that restarting tourism by “primarily targeting the domestic market is an important first step in our phased approach toward restoring normalcy in the tourism industry.”

With the Arabian Gulf experiencing scorching temperatures during the summer months, the UAE’s peak tourism season starts in October.

Images: Skywalk Dubai (top) and The Burj spa (below).