200 Israelis Denied Entry to UAE after Landing in Dubai

According to The Times of Israel, 200 Israelis nationalities who landed in the United Arab Emirates on Monday morning were informed that they were unable to enter the country, apparently due to visa issues.

Days ago, the UAE said it would start allowing Israelis to join tourist visas while a permanent visa waiver agreement is being reached between the two new allies.

After four hours, the problem was finally resolved after the Israeli Foreign Ministry intervened and passengers applied for electronic visas.

The same news website reported Channel 12 News saying that Some 200 travelers who arrived on the FlyDubai flight in the early hours of Monday were told that amendments had been made to the visa regulations and that only those carrying non-Israeli passports could access the country, which had previously rolled out the red carpet for Israeli tourists.

Lior Haiat, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the problem apparently stemmed from uncertainty as to whether a passenger or a travel company wanted to obtain a visa.

On its part, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the issue had been resolved through the intervention of officials at the most senior level" and that the Israelis would soon be able to intervene.

The UAE did not immediately comment on the issue, according to the Times of Israel.