Dubai plans for international tourists from 7 July

The Dubai authorities are preparing to fully reopen the country’s borders, after months of shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dubai residents and citizens can now travel abroad while foreigners resident in Dubai can return from overseas. It plans to welcome tourists from 7 July, but travellers must stringently comply with preventive measures and safety procedures. It is not yet clear if Dubai will also open to medical tourists.

Authorities in Dubai are preparing for a full reopening of borders by implementing a series of strategic measures. Travellers will be welcomed in a safe and secure environment ensuring seamless use of contactless technologies and advanced equipment for screening incoming and outgoing passengers to safeguard the city from any spread of infection.

Inbound tourists will be required to present a recent COVID-19 negative certificate or undergo testing at Dubai airports, with those testing positive to observe a 14-day isolation. A test for coronavirus is mandatory and should done 96 hours before travelling to Dubai. Visitors are also required to have international health insurance, download a special phone app that lists their details, and complete a special health declaration form.

Cleaning and disinfection processes across all facilities, attractions and assets are being implemented to ensure a risk-free experience for tourists in the city.

One of the key priorities is to emphasise the safety and security that Dubai provides, with clear stringent health and safety protocols issued by the Dubai Health Authority based on international standards and best practices aimed at containing the contagion.

Oxford Economics estimates the United Arab Emirates could lose 900,000 jobs and see 10% of its residents uproot due to the impact of COVID-19. Indian, Pakistani and Afghan blue-collar workers have been leaving on repatriation flights, but it is the loss of higher earners that will have painful knock-on effects on an emirate geared toward continuous growth. The Dubai economic model is built on the presence of foreign residents, who comprise about 90% of the population.

Dubai’s medical tourism has been built partly on people travelling to Dubai and partly on treating expats from Dubai, the rest of the UAE and other Gulf states. Reducing numbers in these source markets, and particularly the professionals who can afford private healthcare as well as having the compulsory private health insurance, could have an impact on the medical travel sector.