Qatar citizens barred from UAE airports

DUBAI/SYDNEY: Qatari nationals will not be allowed to board flights to Dubai or Abu Dhabi because the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned them from passing through its airports after Arab powers cut ties with Qatar, said Etihad Airways yesterday.

Foreigners living in Qatar with residence visas would no longer be eligible for visas on arrival into the UAE, a spokesman for Etihad Airways added.

The UAE had already said Qatari nationals would not be allowed to enter the country or cross its points of entry, although the practical effects on airline passengers had been unclear until now.

They will now not be allowed to pass through airports in the UAE even to change planes.

“This ruling applies to all airlines flying into the UAE, including Etihad Airways,” said the Abu Dhabi-based airline.

The transit ban on Qataris is stricter than restrictions on Israeli passport holders who are allowed up to 24 hours to change planes at UAE airports, even though Israel and the UAE lack diplomatic relations.

Indonesia said yesterday it had diverted Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to other airlines.

An Islamic Religious Council of Singapore spokesman said alternative flights to Saudi Arabia were being sought, with less than 200 people affected. Reuters