Qatar: New details on entry requirements for Qataris to the UAE and Saudi Arabia June 11

Event

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Wednesday, June 7, that Qatari nationals will not be allowed to enter its territory until further notice, including passage through its airports.  On June 11, UAE authorities clarified that exceptions could be made to allow entry for Qatari nationals who are first degree relatives of UAE nationals (father, mother, husband, wife, or child), along with expatriates who have Qatari residency.  Saudi Arabia has also announced that a similar exception could be made for first-degree relatives of Saudi nationals will be made to its current travel ban on Qatari nationals.

Saudi and UAE authorities have created hotlines for potentially affected individuals to call to address such cases. Saudi Arabia hotline phone number: +966112409111; UAE hotline phone number: +9718002626.

Context

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Egypt all announced the closure of air, sea, and land routes to and from Qatar in a series of coordinated statements on June 5. Additionally, Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, and FlyDubai airlines announced the indefinite suspension of flights to Qatar starting Tuesday, June 6. The three Gulf states and Egypt gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their territories from June 5. Several prominent Gulf state and Egyptian businessmen have urged investors to withdraw from Qatar, and the price of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), of which Qatar is a major supplier, has fallen sharply. Qatar was also expelled from the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.

Gulf Arab states, Egypt, and Jordan have long resented Qatar's alleged support for groups such as the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic State (IS), among others. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly accused the country of broadcasting militant ideology, a reference to the Al Jazeera media outlet. Qatar was accused of using Al Jazeera to promote the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, a move that threatened many of the Gulf monarchies and fueled the overthrow of the then-Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.

Qatar has also been heavily criticized for forging a relationship with Iran, considered by many Arab countries as a dangerous enemy.

Advice

Individuals are advised to monitor the situation and to contact their respective diplomatic missions for further information.