Update: Hundreds of stranded UAE residents hope to return under new procedures
UAE residents who have been stuck abroad amid the coronavirus outbreak will be able to return from June 1, provided they meet specific criteria.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship said those wishing to return to the UAE must have a valid visa.
It was previously understood that those wishing to return must also have family living in the UAE but this has since been clarified as not being a prerequisite.
Residents were instructed to register in the service titled Residents' Entry Permit on the website smartservices.ica.gov.ae.
The announcement was made late on Monday night.
The ministry and authority said the decision was made to "reunite families affected by the measures taken in light of the current exceptional circumstances".
"The move is aimed at streamlining their safe return to the UAE", the statement said.
Expatriates who were overseas when the country's borders closed on March 19 were told to apply for permission to return on the Twajudi assistance portal, a system previously dedicated to only UAE citizens.
Residents with valid residency visas outside the country who found it difficult to follow up on their requests to return were instructed to check the authority's website or phone the call centre on +971600522222, +97123128867 or +97123128865.
While some residents have been returned to the UAE under special circumstances, many of those who applied were recently told their applications were rejected.
From Friday, applicants began receiving a message reading "in light of the current conditions and for your safety: we apologise for not fulfilling your request due, to the incompatibility of your request with the requirements for entry to the country."
It is understood that essential workers including medical staff and teachers, and pregnant women and children have been prioritised in recent weeks.
Last month, UAE authorities said all residency visas would remain valid until the end of the year.
Brig Khamis Al Kaabi, of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, confirmed the decision, saying it applied to those caught outside the country when flights were suspended.
"Expats who have their visa expiring after March 1, 2020, will have them valid until the end of December this year, whether they are inside or outside the country," Brig Al Kaabi said.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
