a large white building with domes and columns with Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the background

The United Arab Emirates has been among the most cautious in reopening tourism, but also among the first to do so, at least for Dubai. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi require a negative covid-19 test before you’ll be allowed to board a flight into the Emirates, or even transiting through, and track and tracing apps are essential.

Abu Dhabi though, is going a few steps further, adding a complimentary bracelet to your arrival experience, of the electronic monitoring kind. Head to one Emirate, enjoy a trip without quarantine. Head to another, expect 14 days of quarantine and some new jewelry fo your wrist.

Abu Dhabi UAE Electronic Monitoring

If you’ve watched any good mafia crime show on television, you’ll be familiar with electronic monitoring, to ensure criminals keep up with their house arrest. If you’re headed to Abu Dhabi in the near future, you’ll get to try out a similar version for yourself.

dubai-corniche

Unlike Dubai where no 14 day quarantine is required, Abu Dhabi requires 14 days of quarantine, and will use electronic bracelets to ensure each arriving visitor fulfills their obligation. Failure to do so could result in fines, or worse. Hoping to visit for fewer than 14 days? You’re out of luck. Abu Dhabi specifically requires 14 days of quarantine, and no less. Abu Dhabi clarified measures in a series of recent tweets.

Currently, the UAE is closed to most visitors, but exceptions are made for tourists visiting Dubai. In other words, Abu Dhabi isn’t currently seeking tourism the way Dubai is, which helps to explain the cumbersome quarantine requirements. If Dubai is able to sustain tourism without significant spikes in covid-19, Abu Dhabi may follow suit, and hopefully without a complimentary monitoring device.

Monitoring devices are one of the many novel ideas being used by popular tourism destinations to ensure quarantine and health compliance, including on Kauai. Hawaii’s luxury travel gem is looking to have resorts dish out electronic monitoring bracelets to ensure guests stay on the property, or face criminal prosecution. The lines between travel and house arrest are blurred right now.

Gilbert Ott

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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1 Comment

  1. Hi Y’all
    I’m in Dubai at the moment. It’s fairly straight forward to get in and out of. Mostly fly BA and flights are taking off in both directions with decent loads.
    Yes, quarentine for 14 days on return to the UK is a bit of an inconvenience but if you can work from home all the better.
    Here you have everything for the avid sun worshipper including 5* accommodation for the price of a decent 3* in say Italy.
    Clear blue sky, 37C, great food nice hotels…Yes drinking is expensive if you like your tipple but sun and alcohol is a recipe for disaster!!!
    I strongly recommend J W Marriott Marquis as a decent upper class dwelling.

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