In line with the ‘Go Safe’ certification programme spearheaded by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), regular COVID-19 testing has bee made mandatory for all tourism sector staff. DCT Abu Dhabi inspectors have checked 165 hotels and 450 restaurants and conducted over 700 inspections over a period of one month. In addition to these inspections, DCT...
Following the declaration that Kuwait will reopen on 1 August 2020 for commercial flights following a four month shut down a bilingual guidebook is available on social media platforms. The guide provides information on the health and safety protocols. As at present most countries are requiring travellers to have a negative COVID-19 test before flying travellers are being told to register their...
COVID-19 restrictions have been reimposed in Lebanon for a period of two weeks starting 27 July 2020. Places of worship, cinemas, bars, nightclubs, sports events and popular markets have been shut, after a sharp rise in infections. Shops, private companies, banks and educational institutions will be permitted to open, but only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with a near total lockdown in place...
The Saudi General Directorate of Passports has announced the visit visa period will be automatically extended for visitors inside Saudi Arabia without any charge. The Directorate clarified that visit visas for expatriates, which expired during the suspension of entry and exit from Saudi Arabia, were automatically extended for three months without any cost, in coordination with National...
The Iraqi health authorities have decided to impose a full curfew during the Eid Al Adha holiday. The Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, has stated that it has decided to extend the weekly full curfew from 30 July to 9 August 2020, including during the Eid Al Adha holiday. The Committee will then discuss the curfew after the holiday. On 16 July 2020, the Committee had decided to...
It has been confirmed residents who arrive in Oman from abroad can subject themselves to domestic quarantine. According to an airport official residents only who will come to Oman do not need not stay in institutional quarantine. They can stay at their homes as part of domestic quarantine while taking precautionary measures. These include isolating themselves in a separate room in the house, with...
An extension to the Eid Al Adha holidays until 6 August 2020 have been announced by the Oman News Agency. The Eid holidays will now run in Oman from 30 July 2020 till 6 August rather than 3 August 2020 as previously announced. Oman is currently in a COVID-19 lockdown that started on 25 July 2020 and will end on 8 August 2020 following an announcement by the Supreme Committee on COVID-19. The...
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Oman’s Minister of Transport has stated that fifth round reopening is likely to happen after the end of the current lockdown. Efforts were ongoing to approve the fifth package of business activities that could be resumed, but the high numbers of infections has postponed this until the end of the lockdown period. The fifth stage includes requirements for...
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has announced the gradual lifting of restrictions on restaurants which will be allowed to resume their operations (including receiving clients) after obtaining pre-approval of the Ministry. The conditions for obtain the pre-approval include the following points. They must Register for “Qatar Clean” programme at: www.qatarclean.com They...
The residency permits of 1,000 expats are expiring a day as they remain stuck outside Kuwait and their Kuwaiti sponsors have not renewed their permits. The Ministry of Interior is allowing sponsors and companies to renew their employees’ residence permits online, via the ministry’s website. Expats who have an expired residency are unable to return to Kuwait unless their employer has...