UAE residents who flew to Spain's Balearic Islands for an 11-day break before going on to the UK have said they are frustrated with the British government's decision to take the islands off its green travel list.
Travellers said they now have to pay for expensive PCR tests in the UK and face wasting up to 11 days of their annual leave in isolation.
Last week, British ministers moved Ibiza, Majorca and Minorca – where many UAE residents planned to visit – to its amber list.
Whether fully vaccinated or not, UAE residents who received a shot abroad will have to self-isolate on arrival in the UK and submit a negative PCR test to get out of isolation early.
Joanne Barker, 47, said her family of four had no choice but to spend hundreds of pounds on PCR tests to make the most of their short trip home.
It’s ridiculous that coming from a place as safe as the UAE causes so much difficulty for us
Joanne Barker,
British citizen
"It will cost us an additional £800 [$1,100] in tests," she said.
“We chose the Balearics because it was on the green watch list.
“We flew from Abu Dhabi to Barcelona on Etihad and we had all our paperwork in order.
“We are all double jabbed and had a PCR test before departure. We landed in Palma, Majorca on July 10 and plan to leave on July 21.
“The announcement was made to take effect two days before our onward flight to the UK, so there is nothing we can do but suck up the extra tests and self-isolation at home in the UK.”
Ms Barker, a primary school teacher in Dubai, said the family contemplated travelling to another green-list country from the Balearics but, with few direct flights from the island, this would have cost them even more.
She said planning the trip left her in a constant state of anxiety and although she has tried to enjoy it, the changing protocols are always on her mind.
“It’s ridiculous that coming from a place as safe as the UAE causes so much difficulty for us as expats, with added stress and expense,” she said.
“My husband has to return on August 6, giving him barely any time out of isolation to see his family.
“I am a teacher and need to return for school by August 22 but will probably head back a week before as, again, the uncertainty is playing on my mind.”
The new rule comes into effect at 4am UK time on Monday.
People travelling from an amber-list country, without a vaccine administered in the UK, have the option to shorten the 11-day self-isolation period by paying for a private PCR test on day five through Britain's test to release scheme.
That can cost anywhere between £25 to £500.
Dawn Neville, 45, said the past few weeks trying to get home to see family have been a nightmare.
After having two flights to the UK cancelled, she and her husband decided on an 11-day stopover in the Mediterranean, only for that trip to be cancelled as well.
The couple then booked flights to Minorca and left Dubai on July 14.
“We booked Minorca hoping it would stay on the green watch list,” she said.
“Our daughter texted us an hour after we checked into our hotel to tell us it was turning amber from July 19.
“We spent all night and the following morning trying to travel somewhere on the green list but, as Minorca is an island, there are no direct flights and all flights would have to transit in an amber country.
“We decided we would have to stay. We have had to cancel all our plans in the UK for the first week of our holiday, which included moving our daughter into her second-year accommodation at university.”
She said the UK government had "no regard for expats" who just want to travel home to see elderly parents and loved ones.
And seeing people at events in the UK such as the G7 summit, the Euro 2020 final and Wimbledon, with no social distancing or masks “has been a kick in the teeth", she said.
In total, the couple will have to take five PCR tests each, at a cost of more than £500 for both of them.
“Originally, I was due to fly on July 8, with my husband joining me later in the UK," Ms Neville said.
“Now we are flying to the UK on July 25 but have to isolate for 11 days. But we are hoping to test to release on July 30.
“In total I’ve lost 22 days of my summer holidays that I could have spent with my daughter and my elderly parents.”
The UAE has been on the UK’s red list since January 29.
It means only Britons and Irish citizens living in the UAE, or those with residence rights, can enter the UK if travelling directly – but they must go into quarantine in a hotel on their arrival at a cost of £1,750.
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Alpha%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Beta%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Cupcake%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Donut%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Eclair%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Froyo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Gingerbread%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Honeycomb%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Ice%20Cream%20Sandwich%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Jelly%20Bean%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20KitKat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Lollipop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Marshmallow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Nougat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Oreo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Pie%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2010%20(Quince%20Tart*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2011%20(Red%20Velvet%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2012%20(Snow%20Cone*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2013%20(Tiramisu*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2014%20(Upside%20Down%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2015%20(Vanilla%20Ice%20Cream*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3E*%20internal%20codenames%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Company%C2%A0profile
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
