Originally Posted by cargueiro

I have never needed a test to depart Dubai as my destinations don't require it. I think at a Hilton or Conrad front desk can arrange for a doctor to visit and conduct test. If not, I would look at purehealth.ae which should have list of test centres, some of which may visit your hotel.

I am not sure if arrivals from everywhere need a PCR test on arrival but most do.

In my experience, on arrival, the results take 12 to 14 hours on average. So is ideal to arrive early evening, order a room service supper, sleep and hopefully wake up to a negative result.

The first time I visited Dubai this year I arrived in the morning and stayed in the HGI at MoE. Uncomfortable chairs, no view etc made for a miserable lock up! I definately advocate getting as comfortable room as you can afford as you also run the risk that if you test positive you will be locked up in your room for two weeks! Hopefully, insurance would cover this but it is a hell of a lot better to be locked up in a Hilton or Conrad than an HGI!

Also bear in mind you need to download the
Pure Health app if tested on arrival. Pure Health administer the test at DXB. You are also supposed to download the DXB Health Authority app as they are linked. Even though you will enter your contact details you may not get notified of your results. It seems the Pure Health app doesn't like foreign phone numbers. You have to keep logging in and checking. On my last trip, I logged in every hour once 12 hours had elapsed and was released after 13. This last time I did get a notification but only after 20hrs. So I would have spent 7hrs locked up unnecessarily. On previous trips, no notification was provided and all my colleagues never received notifications either. So perhaps Pure Health are working on improving the notifications...

The DXB Health Authority app takes ages to update so you need the Pure Health one too. On my previous trip the Health Authority app still hadn't updated when I departed DXB after a four day stay.

FYI Conrad and Walk seemed completely unintetested in my Covid results. But HGI at MoE were all over it. I was sent to my room on arrival and given strict (polite) instructions I was not to leave until I had emailed front desk my negative result and got confirmation front desk had received it.