Dubai Travel Forum

HI. We are Americians traveling to Dubai this Friday. Are there any warnings for Americians coming into Dubai?

Why, because only Americans can catch the Swine Flu?


*Just kidding*
No, so far there haven't been any confirmed cases in the United Arab Emirates... they're setting up a committee to deal with the "crisis" (boy, they sure love their panels and committees here!) if it should happen.

So far I guess Dubai is at just a high a risk as any other place in the world that has an international airport!

BTW, be prepared to sweat: the initial early-summer-heat-wave has arrived this week: around 40 degrees celsius / 104 F.

Forecast is 43C today Jess.

Folks, the warning should be the other way round - you have the flu across the US but we don't have it here - we should be warned about you! :-)

Enjoy your time here.

Phew! Darn hot... I'm not ready for summer yet :-(


BTW, the United Arab Emirates have just announced (today) that for the time being the import and sale of all pork items has been banned.

So, no bacon for breakfast in the hotel I'm afraid.

I guess they're not taking any chances with those saying "you can't get swine flu by eating pork." Well, are they sure?

Story here:
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Health/10308747.html

So far airport authorities has not issued any warning for passengers coming to U.A.E from North America!!

WOW. I'm not ready for that!!

ha-ha

You are probably right!

So far, things are just okay at the moment. They stop importing pork products, dont ask me why. :)

But, according to the news, they have 'thermal screening' at the airport plus they will have 'emergency meeting' on saturday. So I guess things are pretty normal so far.

i heard they will install some electronic temperature screening in the arrival gate at the airport and those with temperature above normal wil be referred to hospitals for further checks

The important news is that I bought pork sausages as normal in the supermarket this morning. There's no ban.

Colin,
I also stocked-up on Bacon and sausages for my fiance on Thursday at Spinneys.... they said that they're still selling their "existing stock", and are still waiting for an official circular from the government. Until then, they're still selling and people are stocking-up on pork :-)

I dont eat pork products except sausages and bacon.

Swine flu was so named because the symptoms are similar to a flu that affects pigs. You don't catch Swine flu from pork. The virus is an evolved combination of Asian flu and Swine flu, so is the UAE going to quarantine all Asians? Did they kill all birds when Bird flu was around? Of course not.

Seems like ignorance and caution taken to extremes.

no Dave... only Mexicans... no offence!

Mexicans aren't Asian. I bet you failed geography in school lol.

Har..Har..Har... anyhow... check Souq al Bahar... nice place to go. We call it the 'sister' of Madinat Jumeirah but better because they have the 'dancing fountain'! YEAH! No Swine flu but difnitely there are Asians as well as Mexicans... And also Argentinian restaurant, Asado! Yum!

Only seeing this now... So far the only cases of Swine Flu in the entire Gulf are a couple of American soliders in Kuwait. So the people here should be scared of you rather than the other way around!
The pork thing is really just because they can and there will be no public outcry (as the locals don't eat it). Egypt preemptively slaughtered their entire pig population due to swine flu despite the fact that they have confirmed cases of bird flu in their chicken populations which they haven't touched.