Egypt on Tuesday lifted a three-year ban on Qatari aviation, saying all flights to and from the Gulf Arab nation could now resume.
A statement by the Civil Aviation Authority said it would now wait for the two countries’ national carriers – Qatari Airways and EgyptAir – along with private companies to submit their flight schedules.
It was not immediately clear when flights would begin.
The announcement constituted the first concrete step by Egypt to implement last week’s decision to lift restrictions on Qatar imposed when Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with Doha in 2017 and closed their air space to Qatari planes.
The end of the restrictions was announced during a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council held last week in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.
A one-off flight from Doha with Qatar’s finance minister on board arrived in Egypt on January 6, hours after the four nations announced the end of the restrictions on Qatar. The minister, Ali Sharif Al Emadi, was in Egypt for the inauguration of a Qatari-owned luxury hotel in Cairo.
Flights between Qatar and Saudi Arabia resumed on Monday. A Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Riyadh was the first between the two neighbours after the GCC summit.
Qatar Airways said it would operate a daily service to the Saudi capital's King Khalid International Airport
The UAE and Bahrain also reopened their airspace to Qatari planes, but have yet to announce dates for the resumption of direct flights.
Bahrain's Civil Aviation Affairs department said Qatari planes would be allowed to pass through Bahrain's airspace, the state news agency reported.
US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said last November that allowing Qatari aircraft to fly over Saudi Arabia again was one of the priorities of US President Donald Trump's administration.
"The decision allows EgyptAir and Qatar Airways, as well as other Qatari airlines, to resume air traffic and send flight operating schedules to the Egyptian and Qatari civil aviation authorities for approval," head of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority, Ashraf Noyer, told Al Ahram Gate newspaper.
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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