With its strong COVID-19 response, the UAE now prides itself as one of the very few nations that now accept visit visa holders.
The decision to reopen its doors for visitors came following the significant 62% drop in COVID-19 cases in the country, from January to August this year.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, stated: “We have discussed the advancement of the medical sector’s support procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The worst part is over, and the UAE has worked as one team and created a universal model of addressing the pandemic.”
A joint decision between Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) recently began accepting tourist applications from all countries as of August 30. This measure, however, only those who were fully vaccinated with COVID-19 jabs approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
As of press time, there are six vaccines which are both WHO-approved and got greenlit for emergency use in the Philippines. These include: Sinovac, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm. This means that Filipinos families whose relatives have been fully vaccinated with one of the jabs listed above could soon apply for tourist and/or visit visa for their loved ones in time for the – ‘ber’ months.
Both ICA and NCEMA state that these developments will help strike a balance in maintaining a downward trend on the country’s COVID-19 cases while promoting more active and safer environment for residents and tourists alike to help the country usher in a new normal.
Pinoy families reunite
Following the announcement, Filipinos are mulling to bring their families to the UAE.
For Don Cruz, his decision to take his wife and kid to the UAE last August was one of the biggest blessings he received during the pandemic year.
“Pinakamadali talagang kunin sa Pilipinas yung asawa at anak, walang masyadong tanong sa Immigration, basta kasal kayo at ikaw na mismong OFW ang magsponsor. Maganda at nagkasama muli kami ng pamilya ko dito sa UAE,” said Cruz.
Meanwhile, Rachel Reyes hopes to reunite with her 12-year-old daughter by bringing her to Dubai in time for Christmas. However, she couldn’t book flights just yet due to the ongoing travel ban from UAE to the Philippines, which was extended yet again until September 5.
“Mahirap na, baka mamaya di makabalik sa eskwelahan yung anak ko. Miss na miss ko na siya at lagi kaming naka-Zoom, pero iba pa rin kasi yung makita at mayakap mo siya,” said Reyes, who hasn’t seen her daughter face to face since 2018.
Two of the UAE’s biggest events
With the introduction of the new visa measure, tourists are expected to enjoy two of the biggest events in the horizon before the end of the year: Expo 2020 Dubai this October, and the UAE’s Golden Jubilee which would take place early December 2021.
Both of these events will also witness several artistic, sports, and entertainment programs during this period of festivities that will be enjoyed by residents and tourists alike.
The UAE’s decision to reopen also paves the way for a boost in the country’s economy for industries that rely heavily on footfall. These tourism-related activities such as hotel bookings, dining, museum and tourist attraction visits in the country.
Statistics from Dubai Tourism highlight that the emirate has welcomed 2.50M overnight visitors across its hotels from January to June 2021 – a huge number considering that the country back then introduced waves of COVID-19 travel restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus and its variants.
Stay protected
Prior to welcoming tourists back to the country in droves, the UAE has ensured to protect everyone living in the country with an ongoing massive COVID-19 vaccination drive.
As of this time, nearly 9 out of 10 of the UAE’s population (87.19%) have taken their first vaccine dose while almost 8 out of 10 people living in the country (76.12%) are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and its variants.
Dr. Farida Al Hosani, the official spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector, shared that COVID-19 cases have gone down from an all-time high of 95,787 in January to 36,516 in August.
She said that decline in numbers could be attributed to several factors, including the rapid response and preparedness of the country’s health system, more affordable COVID-19 testing costs which has gone down to AED 50 across the country, and an aggressive COVID-19 awareness drive aimed at reducing infections and providing adequate treatment on time.
In addition, the country has also promoted the importance of taking vaccine booster shots to help improve the immunity of all individuals living in the country, which has reflected in the decline in COVID-19 cases in the past few months.
Dr. Al Hosani hopes to welcome people coming from overseas, urging the public to stay on track with their adherence to the country’s COVID-19 guidelines to help the UAE continue its path towards recovery.
“Community coherence is currently essential, and we all must adhere to relevant precautionary measures. We have returned to workplaces, our children have returned to schools, and the capacities of businesses have increased, proving the country’s strategic balance succeeded in reaching the recovery period. We appreciate your commitment and sense of awareness, and we urge you to continue supporting the country’s efforts to contain the virus,” said Dr. Al Hosani.
