Say goodbye to layover woes and hello to unforgettable adventures with Turkish Airlines' Stopover Istanbul and Touristanbul programmes
Things are getting pretty wild on the Fight Island and there can be more twists on the way as multiple Covid-19 tests remain to be done.
Fighters undergo tests and a 48-hour mandatory quarantine before those with negative results depart from the US.
After landing in Abu Dhabi, they are tested again and placed in 48-hour quarantine.
Then there is a third test and only those with negative results will be permitted to move outdoors. Entire local personnel in Abu Dhabi were under quarantine for two weeks in which three tests were done.
Saeed Al Saeed, Destination Marketing Director at Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, underlined that these are the most "extreme set of precautionary measures" undertaken anywhere.
"Every 72 hours every staff on Fight Island is tested. Fighters will have tests before the weighing-in and fights. Gilbert Burns being not here proves that the system is working," Saeed told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview.
The authorities and the UFC have had "alternative options" plans if anyone is tested positive before taking the flight to Abu Dhabi.
And once someone is tested positive inside the Fight Island, there is an entire floor dedicated as a quarantine facility and field hospital for treatment.
"Health and safety of everyone is the top priority and we are proving it with our operations."
When asked if any fighters are kept on standby in case someone tests positive before a bout, Saeed noted it is a decision for the UFC to make, but said: "This is the territory of the UFC and I can't comment but we have seen that the UFC have been very responsive and provided a quality replacement for the main card after Burns (tested positive). Masvidal is an excellent replacement against Usman. It's going to be a great fight."
Also, fighters Jose Aldo, Amanda Ribas and Jessica Andrade have landed in Abu Dhabi, and predictably under quarantine.
"Some of the crew and fighters have landed. They started arriving from July 4 but there will be batches coming later as well."
Apart from heightened sanitisation drive inside the 11-km 'Safe Zone', efforts are taken to restore normalcy with an octagon on Yas Beach, Yas Links for golf, Yas Marina Circuit, food and beverage outlets.
Also, each fighter has a private gym next to their hotel room.
"Some of the rooms of the hotel have been turned into personal gyms for each fighter."
Saeed stressed "incredible effort" has been taken to build a safe and secure zone.
"This is thanks to the lead taken by our government in response to the pandemic. We have more tests per capita than anywhere else in the world. We set up a 'Safe Zone' and took every single measure to ensure priority is health and safety."
The stage is set to showcase an action-packed schedule with UFC251 on July 12, and Fight Night on July 16, 19 and 26. Residents can catch all the fights on UFC Arabia.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com
Say goodbye to layover woes and hello to unforgettable adventures with Turkish Airlines' Stopover Istanbul and Touristanbul programmes
It will be important to watch if the central bank nudges the South Asian currency higher as a slight downward bias is likely to persist in the market, says expert
K. Padmarajan, a 65-year-old tyre repair shop owner, began fighting elections in 1988 from Tamil Nadu state
Certificate need to be presented at check-in for inspection prior to flying from Abu Dhabi, says airline
'I do not remember the last time I broke my fast with my family,' says the officer manning Al Mizher intersection
The emerging technology stands poised to transform logistics — providing swifter, more efficient, and eco-conscious delivery options in the years to come
Among other variants of yellow metal, 22K opened at Dh246.25, 21K at Dh238.25 and 18K at Dh204.25 per gram
The incident happened before the boarding started; all affected passengers had to be rebooked on another flight