UAE exempts Qataris married to Emiratis from expulsion order

DUBAI: The UAE will not deport Qataris who are married to Emirati nationals, Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported on Monday, a week after severing ties with Doha and giving Qataris 14 days to leave.

Before the decision Gulf Arab citizens could easily travel, reside and work across the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The restrictions have left thousands of Qataris cut off from relatives in a region where cross-border marriages are common and Gulf rulers refer to each other as “brothers.”

“Qataris married to Emiratis will not be deported,” The National wrote on Monday, without giving a source for the information. “UAE airports and borders have been ordered to allow any Qatari citizens who are immediate relatives of Emiratis to pass through,” it added.

The move appears to be part of recent efforts to lessen the human toll of the rift. On Sunday authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said they were setting up hotlines to help families with Qatari members.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported late on Sunday that King Salman has ordered authorities to “take into consideration humanitarian situations of Saudi-Qatari joint families.” Bahrain issued a similar statement on its state news agency.