In Duty Free Abu Dhabi, a journalist from Moscow was not sold water because she was flying to Russia
In the duty free airport of the capital of the United Arab Emirates, they came up with restrictions for those who fly to the Russian Federation – a complete ban on the purchase of products from the United States and the ability to purchase other goods only for the national currency.
Olga Sharina, a journalist from Moscow, faced an unexpected innovation, who told the Sovershenno Sekretno newspaper the details of what had happened.
As it became known from our interlocutor, the incident happened on January 10, the day when she flew home from a hot Arab country to Russia. At the airport, Olga became thirsty and went to the duty-free shop to buy water. There she was asked to provide boarding tickets. Seeing where the girl was going, the seller refused to release her goods for euros. He allowed to pay only with the national currency dirham.
“The new rules have been in effect in the Emirates for about 2 months: everyone who has a boarding pass in the Russian Federation cannot buy anything in duty for dollars, euros or pounds. Only for dirhams. But American products (from chocolates to alcohol and bags) cannot be bought at all. They just won’t sell it,” Sharina said.
The Russian woman was explained that the administration had secretly introduced such conditions for everyone who had tickets to Russia. That is, even a Pakistani flying to our country will face restrictions. The reason is the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the decrease in economic contacts.
“Many were deployed. When I came up to buy water with euros in my hands, they immediately told me: “Russian? Are you flying to Russia? We can’t sell.” This applies only to duty-free points where you need to show a ticket. Restaurants, bookstores and pharmacies operate freely,” the interlocutor noted. Olga also said that Jack Daniel’s American whiskey was not sold to those flying to Russia before her eyes.
Later, her friends began to write to the journalist, who began to report similar incidents in European countries. Only they were refused to sell in Duty Free not water and chocolate, but luxury items.
It is worth noting that the UAE is on the side of its neighbors in the current Russian-Ukrainian conflict. On October 18, Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered additional $100 million in humanitarian aid to conflict-affected citizens of Ukraine. And on December 25, information appeared that the Arab state would transfer 2,500 household generators with a capacity of 3.5 to 8 kW to Ukraine to help amid energy problems due to damage to infrastructure as a result of shelling.
