São Paulo – The emirate of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is extending its vaccination campaign, which used to be restricted to citizens and residency visa holders only. Tourists can now receive Pfizer or Sinopharm vaccines. The doses are only available for holders of a visa issued by Abu Dhabi or holders of passports eligible for visa on arrival with an entry stamp at Abu Dhabi. Individuals have to show the passport with the visa at the vaccination center to get the jab.
The measure could attract tourism to the emirate, particularly visitors from countries with a low supply of immunizers like Brazil. The information is from local newspapers Gulf Business and Khaleej Times.
Visitors can book the vaccination through the application of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the emirate’s health care provider.
Holders of expired residency or entry visas are also eligible for free vaccinations, Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said on June 11. Job losses and travel restrictions during the pandemic have caused many tourists and residents to have their visas expired or cancelled.
Dubai, the most populated emirate, hasn’t so far announced any plan to take the same measure, nor have any of the other five emirates of the UAE. To get into the country, it’s necessary to have taken a PCR test within the last 72 hours. Each emirate has its specific requirements regarding the entry of tourists from each country according to their vaccination status and COVID-19 spread. It’s important to get informed about the entry requirements with the airline and tourism agency before travelling.
The Gulf country was one of the world’s first to start vaccinating, back in September 2020. The national vaccination campaign has reached more than 87% of the total eligible population. The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention has administered more than 14.5 million doses of the vaccine. The population of the UAE is about 10 million people.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda