The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai confirmed a few travellers were denied entry at Dubai airport over non-compliance with entry requirements for tourist visa-holders. The UAE immigration rules mandate that passengers must carry a valid hotel reservation or a relative’s reference, and a return ticket booking.
Travel industry sources said several passengers from India are travelling to Kuwait via Dubai, especially blue-collared workers. These categories of travellers did not meet these requirements.
The demand for UAE-Kuwait flights went up after travel restrictions for flights from about 34 countries were announced by Kuwait. Since there are no direct flights from their home countries where they were stuck due to COVID-19, thousands of expats from Kuwait opted to fly back via the UAE after Dubai and Sharjah started issuing tourist/visit visas. They are spending 14 days in the UAE to complete the mandatory quarantine to enter Kuwait.