The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will on Saturday, January 29, resume passenger flights from Nigeria and 11 other African countries.
UAE’s National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) announced this in a tweet on Wednesday.
The tweet read: “From January 29, entry into the UAE for arrivals from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is allowed again.”
The agency said entry procedures have been updated for flights originating from Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The statement added that passengers arriving from these three countries – Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda to the UAE must have a negative COVID-19 test obtained within 48 hours of departure from the approved labs in their respective countries.
According to the agency, passengers must undergo a Rapid PCR test at the airports of departure. On arrival in the UAE, they will be subjected to another PCR test, asking residents of African countries to refrain from travelling to the country if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
The UAE imposed the travel restrictions in December, following the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Similarly, Emirates Airline, the flag carrier of the UAE, also suspended flights to several African nations due to the directive.