The United Arab Emirates has lifted the ban on its citizens travelling to Lebanon as of Tuesday.
The undersecretary of the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Khalid Belhoul, says that the decision was made after the ministry followed up on issues relating to exit security.
The Lebanese government also provided a number of guarantees with the issue, strengthening neighbourly relations between the two countries.
The decision was announced in tandem with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri making a visit to Abu Dhabi.
The Prime Minister will be taking part in the UAE-Lebanon Investment Conference.
It was nearly two years ago in November 2017 that both the UAE and Bahrain warned their citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon after the resignation of Hariri.
Hariri later retracted that resignation.
Walid Bukhari, Riyadh’s ambassador to Beirut, announced in February this year that the warning was being dismissed.
Lebanon is hoping that tourists from Gulf countries will help to boost the nation’s economy.
There are a number of challenges facing the Lebanese economy, including the abundance of the dollar and oscillations within the local exchange market.
Other issues include the increase of exchange rates within the official market.
The announcement of the rescinding of the travel ban has already had an impact in the UAE.
Etihad Airways has already announced that it is to increase its capacity between Abu Dhabi and the capital city of Lebanon, Beirut.
The current daily Airbus A321 service is to be upgraded to a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from 27th October.
The move to change the service from a narrow-body aircraft to a wide-body aircraft came a day after the announcement that the travel ban for UAE citizens to Lebanon was being immediately removed by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The lifting of the restriction is expected to result in a major increase in the demand for air travel between the two capital cities.
The two-class Boeing 787-9, which is the airline fleet’s newest type of aircraft, will run the upgraded Etihad flights.
The jets will be able to seat as many as 299 passengers in 271 Economy Smart Seats and 28 Business Seats.
There will also be a notable cargo capacity increase with the 787s.
Etihad Aviation Group’s chief commercial officer Robin Kamark says that Lebanon is a market of vital importance to the UAE and Etihad Airways.
Beirut was the very first destination scheduled by the airline when it launched in November 2003, and it moved quickly to increase capacity to meet the expected rise in cargo and passenger demand following the announcement.
Anyone who intends to travel to Lebanon from the UAE will still need to take out travel insurance before they do so.
Travel insurance provides a vital financial safeguard against cancelled flights and other issues that can sometimes be associated with travelling away from home.
UAE lifts Lebanon travel banThose issues can include the theft of valuables in addition to falling ill in a foreign nation.
