Latest: What are the Covid-19 rules for travelling to Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
Covid-19 testing at airports around the world should end in the near future, Dubai Airports' chief executive said on Tuesday.
Passengers travelling through most airports around the world have had to undergo a Covid test of some type since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Paul Griffiths said it was time for regulators to allow for more freedom of travel and to adopt a “normalisation” approach to the virus.
He said that once the "testing regime becomes history, which I think it will do shortly", air travel will thrive once again.
I think we've got to get to live with it and we've got to be able to travel as part of that normalisation of the approach to the virus in the future
Paul Griffiths
"What we believe will happen is there will be a strong recovery and we need governments to stop interfering with the common-sense health regulations that are now emerging in the wake of the response to the latest strains of the virus,” Mr Griffiths said, in an interview on CNN's Middle East programme.
“We've got to get to live with it and we've got to be able to travel as part of that normalisation of the approach to the virus in the future. That’s when people will get their lives back and that’s when they will become mobile again.”
John Holland-Kaye, London Heathrow's chief executive, made a similar statement on Tuesday, calling on regulators to focus on measures that will improve service, ease financial stress and rebuild demand — including the removal of all testing requirements.
“The aviation industry will only fully recover when these are all lifted and there is no risk that they will be reimposed at short notice, a situation which is likely to be years away,” Mr Holland-Kaye said.
Last week, airline industry body IATA said it was now time for Britain to remove testing requirements entirely for vaccinated people.
“It’s clear that the extra measures had little or no impact on the spread of this new variant,” said Iata Director General Willie Walsh.
Dubai traffic continues recovery
Dubai International Airport in December retained its position as the world's busiest for international passengers.
Mr Griffiths said traffic at Dubai airport is starting to show real signs of recovery, with visitors to Dubai through the airport — on a point to point basis — above pre-Covid levels.
“The good thing is we never really shut anything down. We put things into hibernation, but we maintained a full state of readiness in order to be able to springboard back into the real world when traffic starts to recover, and we've seen that,” he said.
“We've seen 40 per cent growth over a six-week period just before the Christmas peak and we're now at about 111 per cent of pre-Covid levels, in terms of arriving and departing passengers from Dubai.”
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
The specs: 2019 Audi A8
Price From Dh390,000
Engine 3.0L V6 turbo
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km
SPECS
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
Dunki
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
