Covid-19: Residents, visitors overjoyed as UK removes UAE from red list

Dubai - The status change will come into effect from Sunday, August 8.

UAE citizens and residents have expressed happiness and satisfaction as the UK government eased inbound travel rules for those coming from the UAE.

After almost 200 days, the UK has finally taken the UAE off its travel red list – countries from where travel is banned — and moved it to its amber list. The status change will come into effect from Sunday, August 8.

The biggest relief for returnees is an end to the 10-day costly mandatory quarantine in a government hotel, which has seen thousands of passengers from the UAE pay thousands of pounds for the hotel stay.

Dubai resident Sadaf Ather said she and her husband had been praying for months for UAE’s status to change on the UK travel list.

The couple’s 18 year old daughter has secured admission in a UK university – UCLAN - and they were set to fly with her to the UK to help her with her accommodation and settle her down at her new university there.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Ather said: “This is the first time we are sending our daughter to a new country for higher studies, therefore, both me and my husband have planned to go with her initially. But since the UAE was in UK’s red list, we were told that we would have to shell out around £1,800 (Dh9200) per person for a mandatory hotel quarantine (selected by the UK government) for 10 days. Since we were three of us, this would make it a very costly affair.

“Also, we were worried about the kind of hotel we would get, the food and security, among other things. We were desperately waiting for the UK government to change the UAE’s status so we could quarantine in a hotel or place of our choice. This ease of quarantine rules is a great news for us and we are looking to fly out by the end of this month and book a viable deal at a hotel apartment where we can quarantine.”

Dubai resident and UK national Maxine Braddock said she was happy, as the move, she said, would not only boost the UK’s tourism sector, but also help reunite families.

“This is a much called-for news, as hopefully it will help boost the economy of both the countries as British people are desperate to travel here and likewise many UK nationals in the UAE are desperate to go home and see their loved ones. I also believe that UAE residents who are used to wearing their masks and maintaining social distance, can set a good example for people in the UK, where many have started moving around without masks and ignoring Covid-safety measures.”

The UAE has been on the UK’s red travel list since January. Thanks to fall in the infection rate, a high vaccination rate and mass testing, the country along with Bahrain, India and Qatar, have been moved from the red list to the amber list.

UK national Nelly and her sister and mother who came to the UAE for their brother’s funeral, were unable to return to London after the funeral formalities due to the UAE’s red list status. “We lost our brother to Covid in Dubai two weeks ago. It has been tough and painful for us to be here as everything in Dubai now reminds us of him. This is why we wanted to fly out as soon possible.

“Our mother is 75 years old is also not very well, and we need to send her back soon.

We also left our families in the UK to be with our brother, but the mandatory quarantine rule had held us back. We are relieved that we can now return home soon and quarantine at home,” Nelly said.

• UAE