Dhaka: To prevent the spread of Covid-19 and its new variant Omicron, the United Arab Emirates has announced a ban on unvaccinated citizens from travelling abroad effective January 10.

The move was announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.

According to reports, fully vaccinated residents would also require a booster shot to be eligible to travel.

However, reports added, the ban will not apply to those with medical or humanitarian exemptions.

The new move makes the UAE the latest country to impose new travel curbs amid a rise in Covid-19 infections as many countries worldwide have already imposed restrictions for unvaccinated travellers.

Among them, some countries require mandatory negative Covid-19 test results before travel, while others have made quarantine mandatory for travellers upon arrival.

Reports claimed over 90 per cent of the UAE’s population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while over 34 per cent had already received the booster jab.