Latest COVID rules/sources – a primer
Tips and Tricks
It’s often worth looking at signing for email alerts or add pages to RSS feeds/newsreaders like Feedly to follow all updates.
Another tip is to set up a Google Alert for a specific keyword (e.g. NCEMA or Emirates) which will then email you mentions of the word in news etc.
Link > Google Alerts. Feedly
The first 3 ‘buckets’ you should ALWAYS check are
1. Home government official travel advice
FCDO Advice for UAE
Although aimed at British nationals overseas, their advice is comprehensive and useful for all.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates
2. Destination/government travel & COVID advice
Visit Dubai – COVID Hub
Here’s the Visit Dubai hub, with a few decent links.
https://www.visitdubai.com/en/coronavirus-advisory
Visit Abu Dhabi
Check for ‘green list’ updates, as Abu Dhabi maintains its own list which is country of travel origin/geographical-based NOT citizenship.
https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/plan-your-trip/covid-safe-travel
National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA)
Official COVID-19 statistics, but also follow on Twitter as they often annouce any protocols or rule changes there.
https://covid19.ncema.gov.ae/en
3. Your airline/carrier
Emirates COVID-19 Hub (based in Dubai, DXB)
https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/
Emirates – Travel Updates
https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/help/travel-updates/
Approved PCR test laboratories (via Emirates, PDF download)
https://c.ekstatic.net/ecl/documents/health-screening-documents/approved-laboratories.pdf
Etihad (based in Abu Dhabi, AUH)
https://www.etihad.com/en-gb/travel-updates/covid-19
Dubai Airports
Note: not always up-to-date, and Emirates often have the latest information relative to DXB
https://www.dubaiairports.ae/alert/latest-covid-19-update-
Abu Dhabi Airport
note: minimum transit times allowed on connections may be strictly enforced to reduce ‘hanging around’ in the airport, and may result in being denied boarding at origin.
https://www.abudhabiairport.ae/en/announcement
Local Media
The National
Start with The National. Although it's often more Abu Dhabi-centric than Dubai, it's closer to Government sources and better standards of reporting (IMO) than Gulf News (which often is paywalled) or Khaleej Time with a brief roundup. Here's their roundup of latest key rules in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Emirates News Agency
Official Emirates News Agency (sometimes a bit self-congratulatory or ‘spin' but often, official announcements are published here before the local media)
Abu Dhabi Media Office
Abu Dhabi is a different Emirate to Dubai, and often the rules are different, so it’s worth ollowin Abu Dhabi Media Office on Twitter for updates.
https://twitter.com/admediaoffice/
Other Sources
Trip Advisor – Dubai Forum
Although a Forum, there’s heaps of ‘real world’ threads in there from travellers who have travelled to Dubai during the pandemic, including some feedback from those unlucky to have tested positive and had to quarantine.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g295424-i872-Dubai_Emirate_of_Dubai.html
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