UAE stops issuing visas on arrival and bans citizens from traveling abroad over coronavirus
UAE stops issuing visas on arrival and bans citizens from traveling abroad over coronavirus/node/1643291/middle-east
UAE stops issuing visas on arrival and bans citizens from traveling abroad over coronavirus
The new travel regulation does not apply to UAE citizens and residents, who may be tested upon arrival and asked to self-isolate or be quarantined. (File/AFP)
UAE stops issuing visas on arrival and bans citizens from traveling abroad over coronavirus
UAE suspended the issuance of new entry visas on March 17
The country also said that it had banned its citizens from travelling abroad until further notice over coronavirus fears
Updated 18 March 2020
Arab News
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates will temporarily stop issuing visas on arrival starting March 19, the country’s embassy in London tweeted on Tuesday.
“Please be advised that the temporary suspension of issuing visas upon arrival is applicable to all countries,” the press office at the Emirati Embassy in London told Arab News.
The tweet included a link to all the countries who can get a visa on arrival.
NEW: #UAE takes extra steps to combat the spread of #COVID19 that will affect travellers from the UK:
- from March 19 no visas on arrival will be issued until further notice. UAE residents are not affected.
The UK government told citizens that visas on arrivals have been suspended to the UAE, on their travel advisory website. The new travel regulation does not apply to UAE citizens and residents, who may be tested upon arrival and asked to self-isolate or be quarantined.
Australia’s Ambassador to the UAE Heidi Venamore tweeted that “UAE will suspend issuing all visas on arrival, including for Australians.”
The UAE had already issued a temporary suspension of entry visas into the country effective March 17 however have exempted some countries from the ban and diplomatic passports.
The UAE also said on Wednesday that it had banned its citizens from travelling abroad until further notice over coronavirus fears, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
Arab Coalition announces ‘limited’ airstrike targeting two ships that smuggled weapons to Yemen
Coalition urges evacuation of the Port of Mukalla, signaling that a major military operation to force an STC withdrawal could be imminent
Spokesman says the two ships transported weapons from the UAE port of Fujairah to Mukalla without getting permission from Coalition command
Updated 30 December 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen on Tuesday said it conducted a “limited” airstrike targeting two ships that smuggled weapons and other military hardware into Mukalla in southern Yemen.
In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Coalition Forces spokesman, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, said that two ships coming from the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates entered the Port of Mukalla in Hadramaut without obtaining official permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition.
“The crews of the two ships disabled the tracking systems of the two ships and unloaded a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles to support the Southern Transitional Council forces in the eastern governorates of Yemen (Hadramawt, Al-Mahra) with the aim of fueling the conflict. This is a clear violation of imposing a truce and reaching a peaceful solution, as well as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution No. (2216) of 2015 AD,” said the spokesman.
The coalition urged civilians and fishermen to evacuate the Port of Mukalla, signaling that a major military operation to force an STC withdrawal could be imminent.
Google map showing the location of Mukalla in southern Yemen
Al-Maliki said the Coalition Forces acted on a request by Rashad Al-Alimi, the president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, “to take all necessary military measures to protect civilians in the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra.”
Al-Alimi, the president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, warned last week that unilateral actions by the STC were pushing the country toward a dangerous tipping point.
“Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons, which threaten security and stability, the Coalition Air Forces conducted a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles unloaded from the two ships at the port of Al-Mukalla. This was done after documenting the unloading, and the military operation was carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules, ensuring no collateral damage occurred,” spokesman Al-Maliki said on Tuesday.
He affirmed the Coalition’s "continued commitment to de-escalation and enforcing calm in the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra, and to prevent any military support from any country to any Yemeni faction without coordination with the legitimate Yemeni government and the Coalition. This is aimed at ensuring the success of the Kingdom and the Coalition’s efforts to achieve security and stability and prevent the conflict from spreading.”
Disregarding previous agreements with the Coalition, the group calling itself Southern Transitional Council, or STC, launched a sweeping military campaign early in December, seizing the governorates of Hadramaut along the Saudi border and the eastern governorate of Al-Mahra in Yemen’s border with Oman.
The UAE-backed STC forces captured the city of Seiyun, including its international airport and the presidential palace. They also took control of the strategic PetroMasila oilfields, which account for a massive portion of Yemen’s remaining oil wealth.
CaptioYemenis members of the Sabahiha tribes of Lahj, who live along the strip between the south and north of the country, gather during a rally in the coastal port city of Aden on December 14, 2025, to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen. (AFP)
This prompted Saudi Arabia to issue a firm demand for the STC to withdraw and hand over the seized areas to the National Shield Forces, a Saudi-backed unit.
The coalition warned that any military movements undermining de-escalation efforts would be dealt with immediately to protect civilians, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
On Dec. 26, the UAE issued a statement welcoming Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support security and stability in Yemen.
The statement carried by state news agency WAM praised Saudi Arabia’s constructive role in advancing the interests of the Yemeni people and supporting their legitimate aspirations for stability and prosperity.
