Uganda Travel Update as Ebola Outbreak Ends, But UAE Restrictions Continue to Challenge Tourism and Trade

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Uganda has officially moved beyond its 2026 Ebola outbreak, giving travellers and the tourism industry a reason to breathe easier. But for people planning journeys between Uganda and the United Arab Emirates, the situation is not yet completely back to normal.

Uganda declared itself free of Ebola on July 28 after completing the required 42-day monitoring period without detecting further transmission. The country’s Ministry of Health said the final confirmed patient had been discharged on June 16, while enhanced surveillance found no evidence of continuing community transmission.

The declaration reopened the door for Uganda’s tourism and business sectors to rebuild confidence. However, UAE restrictions connected to the earlier health emergency remained an unresolved issue months after Uganda’s outbreak had ended.

UAE Travel Restrictions Remain a Major Issue for Uganda

The latest development came from Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister in September. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said Uganda was in discussions with UAE authorities about removing existing restrictions on travel from Uganda to the UAE.

According to Uganda’s government, the restrictions were affecting trade between the two countries. The talks took place in Dubai during meetings between Ugandan and UAE officials, with both sides discussing the possibility of resolving the issue.

This creates an unusual situation for travellers: Uganda has officially declared the Ebola outbreak over, but some international travel measures introduced during the outbreak have continued to influence movement between the two countries.

How the UAE Responded During the Ebola Crisis

The UAE introduced precautionary measures after the Ebola situation developed in the region.

On May 30, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised its nationals and residents against travelling to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan unless travel was absolutely necessary. The ministry cited the evolving public-health situation surrounding Ebola.

A week later, UAE authorities introduced additional measures affecting passengers arriving from the three countries.

From June 6, the UAE suspended the issuance of new visas for nationals of Uganda, DRC and South Sudan. Travellers arriving from those countries were also subject to entry restrictions, including those who had travelled through another country, unless they had remained outside the affected countries for more than 21 days. Cargo flights continued operating, while transit flight operations were not suspended.

For the aviation industry, the distinction was significant. The UAE remained operational as a major international transit hub, while additional restrictions were imposed on certain passengers based on recent travel history.

Uganda’s Airports Tightened Health Screening

The outbreak also changed the experience of travelling through Uganda.

Uganda’s health authorities strengthened monitoring at points of entry, including Entebbe International Airport. The country’s official Ebola tracking platform recorded more than 5,400 travellers screened during the outbreak response, alongside extensive testing, contact tracing and surveillance.

The response reflected the broader challenge facing tourism destinations during infectious-disease outbreaks. Airports must protect passengers and staff while maintaining enough connectivity for tourism, business, humanitarian operations and essential trade.

For Uganda, that balance became particularly important because the country relies heavily on international visitors and cross-border economic activity.

WHO Did Not Recommend Broad Travel Restrictions

The international health response also differed from some of the border measures introduced by individual countries.

The World Health Organization advised against restrictions on travel or trade with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo based on the information available during the outbreak. WHO instead emphasized coordinated outbreak control, cross-border cooperation, surveillance and preparedness.

That distinction matters for the travel sector because government border policies can differ even when international health guidance takes a more targeted approach.

For travellers, this means that checking the rules of the destination country remains essential even after the affected country itself declares an outbreak over.

The $10 Million Figure Was Not UAE Ebola Funding

Another important clarification concerns the financial figure attached to the story.

The African Development Bank, rather than the UAE, announced a US$13 million package to strengthen the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.

The package included a US$10 million grant drawn from reallocated resources from the Bank’s DRC portfolio and channelled through WHO. A further US$3 million came through the African Development Bank’s Multi-Country Emergency Assistance Project and was to be implemented by Africa CDC. Uganda and South Sudan were each allocated US$1 million from that second component.

This distinction is important because describing the entire US$10 million as UAE funding would inaccurately attribute the response money.

What This Means for Uganda Tourism

For Uganda’s tourism industry, the end of the outbreak is a major milestone, but restoring normal international travel flows can take longer.

The country’s Ministry of Health has explicitly stated that Uganda is open for business, tourism and socioeconomic activity while continuing surveillance and preparedness, particularly in border areas.

The remaining UAE restrictions therefore represent a separate challenge from the health situation itself.

Uganda’s government has already highlighted the commercial consequences. During the September discussions, Prime Minister Nabbanja said the restrictions were adversely affecting trade between Uganda and the UAE. The government is now seeking their removal as part of efforts to restore normal bilateral movement.

A Health Crisis May Be Over, But Travel Recovery Takes Longer

For travellers looking at Uganda today, the story is no longer simply about Ebola. It is about how quickly international aviation networks, border policies and traveller confidence return to normal after a health emergency.

Uganda has completed the formal process required to declare its outbreak over. Yet the continuing discussions with the UAE show that ending an outbreak and restoring unrestricted international mobility are two different milestones.

For tourism businesses, airlines and travellers, the next development to watch is whether the UAE removes its remaining Uganda-related restrictions. Until then, anyone travelling between the two countries should check the latest official requirements rather than relying solely on Uganda’s Ebola-free declaration. The UAE’s official travel page continues to carry a Uganda advisory, last modified July 9, 2026.

For Uganda, the hardest part of the health emergency may be behind it. The next challenge is making sure that international travellers, airlines, investors and tourism businesses feel that normal movement has returned as well.

Travel And Tour World Check

Travel And Tour World has covered the UAE’s Ebola-related travel measures, including the June 2026 entry restrictions affecting passengers who had recently been in Uganda, DRC or South Sudan. Its coverage also discussed how Emirates and flydubai advised passengers to comply with the updated measures.

I did not find a Travel And Tour World article that accurately supports the original claim that “the UAE allocated $10 million to tackle the Ebola outbreak as it lifted Uganda travel restrictions.” The verified government record instead shows that Uganda was still in talks with the UAE about lifting the restrictions as of September 9, 2026, while the US$10 million Ebola-response figure belongs to the African Development Bank’s funding package.