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By 10 AM on Sunday, the checkpoint at the Ghantoot border on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road had been demolished
After more than a year, Emirati residents who went to Abu Dhabi were able to enter the emirate freely without restrictions-which made many residents breathe a sigh of relief.
Starting from June 2020, UAE residents who go to Abu Dhabi for work or visit relatives and friends must show a negative PCR or DPI result before entering the Emirate.
But the Abu Dhabi Covid-19 Pandemic Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Committee eased on Saturday Pre-entry test requirements.
By 10 AM on Sunday, the checkpoint at the Ghantoot border on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road had been demolished. Motorists can drive directly to Abu Dhabi without having to stop and ask security personnel to check their AlHosn app.
Indian expatriate Mohammad Naseeb is an IT project manager at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB). He lives in Sharjah and commutes to the capital to work every day. After relaxing the regulations, he was one of the first residents to cross the border.
“Relaxing entry regulations is a huge relief for us. I travel to Abu Dhabi every day, and every two days I have to undergo a PCR test to pass the border,” he told Khaliji Times on Sunday.
Previously, Naseeb said that he would do 15 PCR tests every month, which cost him a huge price.
“PCR testing has become a habit for me, and it’s very busy,” he said. “I hope that the Covid-19 situation will improve more and we will not go back to those travel restrictions.”
31-year-old Egyptian immigrant Imaan Saeed (Imaan Saeed), an engineer who travels frequently to Abu Dhabi, said that removing border entry rules could even improve business activities in the UAE.
“The authorities have cancelled the border entry rules, which is a good thing. I always come to Abu Dhabi for business trips, but whenever I have to come to the capital, I find it difficult to perform routine PCR tests,” she said.
Badis Bouhadiba, a 37-year-old Tunisian banker working in Abu Dhabi, said he lives in Dubai with his family.
“The border entry rules are a huge challenge for me because I have to travel to Abu Dhabi regularly. I have to do a routine PCR test because this is the only way to enter the capital. I am very happy that things are back to normal,” Buhadiba said.
Another expat, 43-year-old Susantha John, a mechanical, electrical and plumbing manager from India, said that he would also go to Abu Dhabi to work every week.
“I am happy with the removal of border entry regulations. When I came to Abu Dhabi to work, I no longer worried about PCR negative results,” he said.
Residents are also pleased that the E101 bus shuttle between Dubai and Abu Dhabi has resumed. The Road and Traffic Authority (RTA) announced earlier that intercity bus services will depart from Dubai’s Ibn Battuta bus station to the central bus station in Abu Dhabi.
Please also read:
>> Abu Dhabi relaxes entry regulations, families rejoice
According to the previous directive issued in July 2021, everyone traveling to the UAE must submit a negative PCR test or a negative DPI test for no more than 24 hours within 48 hours, regardless of their vaccination status.
Those who have not been vaccinated must undergo PCR testing again on the fourth day of entry, while those who stay longer must undergo additional testing on the eighth day.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
Ismail Sebowawo
As a professional journalist from Kampala, Uganda, Ismail is a happy father with a strong attachment to the family and noble values ​​to humans. For the past 13 years, he has been engaged in journalism in the UAE, covering the country’s parliament (FNC) and criminal activities, including the Abu Dhabi police, prosecutors and courts. He also reports on important issues in education, public health, and the environment, and has a keen interest in stories about human interests. In fulfilling his reporting duties, he served the Ugandan community in Abu Dhabi because he wanted to see his fellow citizens happy. Exercise and reading are part of his free time.
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