The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that it will begin issuing visas to all travellers who have been properly vaccinated against COVID-19, a month before Dubai hosts the postponed Expo 2020 trade fair.
The decision coincides with a decline in coronavirus infections in the oil-rich Gulf country, which recorded fewer than 1,000 cases per day for the first time in months last week.
The UAE decided to reopen its doors to tourists from all nations in order to "achieve sustainable recovery and economic growth," according to the official WAM news agency on Saturday.
Those who are eligible must be fully inoculated with one of the World Health Organization-approved COVID-19 vaccines, which include AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
"The ruling applies to all citizens, even those entering from previously prohibited nations," WAM stated.
"Passengers coming on tourist visas must take a mandatory PCR test at the airport," the statement continued.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is made up of seven emirates, including the capital Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
While life in the country has largely returned to normal in the aftermath of the COVID-19 epidemic, the country continues to impose stringent regulations on mask wearing and social distance.
Dubai was depending on the six-month Dubai Expo 2020, which was delayed a year due to the health crisis and is now slated to begin in October, to draw millions of visitors and help the economy last year.
The emirate, which is heavily dependant on tourism, was one of the first to welcome visitors, welcoming visitors in July last year, only a few months after the epidemic began.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi has been more careful, only allowing some tourists in December.
So far, the UAE has reported almost 715,000 instances of COVID-19 infection, with 2,036 fatalities.
Source: Gulf News