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Travellers arriving in Abu Dhabi from abroad will now have to quarantine for longer.
The updated rules, announced on Sunday, will affect all citizens and residents, regardless of their vaccination status.
But for how long must people isolate, and when will children returning from overseas be able to return to school?
Here's the latest:
Vaccinated travellers arriving from non-green list countries
Immunised Emirati citizens and residents flying into Abu Dhabi from countries not on the emirate’s green list will now quarantine for seven days instead of five.
They must also take a PCR test on arrival, and again on day 6.
The rule applies to vaccinated UAE citizens and residents who received their second dose at least 28 days earlier, as documented on their Al Hosn app.
Unvaccinated arrivals from non-green list countries
Unvaccinated citizens and residents arriving from countries not on the green list will have to quarantine for 12 days, up from 10 before.
They also must take a PCR test on arrival and another on day 11.
Travelling with unvaccinated children
Parents travelling with unvaccinated children who are returning to Abu Dhabi after the summer holidays must plan for a quarantine period before they return to school.
Under recent rules, all school staff and pupils aged 16 and over must have had both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine by the start of the new school term.
Private schools in Abu Dhabi are currently waiting for updates from the authorities on testing policies and protocols for children and staff who have travelled outside the Emirates during the summer holidays.
Last year, all pupils aged over 12 had to be tested for Covid-19 before they could return to in-person classes in Abu Dhabi.
And parents were advised to plan their holidays to account for a quarantine period for their children before they could attend school.
They were asked to return at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the new academic year, to meet any requirements of quarantine or Covid-19 required by the UAE Government.
Anyone arriving from green-list countries
All arrivals from green-list destinations are already exempt from quarantine.
But they must take a PCR test on arrival, isolating until the result comes through, and another on day 6. Day 1 is the date of arrival.
Tourists arriving from non-green list countries
Tourists arriving from countries not on the green list must quarantine for 10 days, regardless of whether or not they have been immunised.
Anyone wishing to enter Abu Dhabi from the border with Dubai must provide a negative PCR test result issued within 48 hours or a negative laser DPI blood test result issued within 24 hours.
Any portion of the 10 days spent elsewhere in the UAE, such as Dubai, will be deducted from the period.
For example, if they have spent five days elsewhere in the UAE, they will be required to finish the remaining five days quarantine in Abu Dhabi and take a PCR test on day 8. The quarantine will be monitored by a tracking wristband.
Where you can quarantine
Most travellers arriving from non-green list countries can quarantine at home, while being monitored by a tracking wristband.
But anyone arriving from a country UAE authorities deem to be high-risk will be required to complete the quarantine in accommodation provided by the government.
Rules for arriving in Abu Dhabi and travelling outside the emirate
People must undergo a free, mandatory PCR test at the airport and inform authorities they are travelling outside the emirate to be exempted from quarantine, Abu Dhabi Airport rules state.
Those concerned can travel to another emirate only by official airport taxi, Etihad chauffeur, or Etihad express coach and they must head to their final destination.
If people cannot secure approved transportation to a final destination outside of Abu Dhabi, they must follow the emirate's entry and quarantine rules.
Results
2-15pm: Commercial Bank Of Dubai – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Al Habash, Patrick Cosgrave (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)
2.45pm: Al Shafar Investment – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Day Approach, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
3.15pm: Dubai Real estate Centre – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Celtic Prince, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Sprint by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Khuzaam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Shadwell – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Tenbury Wells, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Jebel Ali Stakes by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
5.15pm: Jebel Ali Racecourse – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Rougher, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
