Tunisian transport minister Thursday announced that Dubai-based carrier Emirates was allowed to resume air traffic to Tunis in an apparent end of crisis between the North African country and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sparked by Emirati authorities’ ban on Tunisian women to travel to the Gulf.
The minister late month following public outcry suspended all Emirates flights to the North African country in reaction to comments by some Tunisian women that they were subject to additional checks as they flew to the UAE.
UAE authorities lambasted the outcry arguing that Tunis had been informed of a security concern.
Authorities in Tunisia later noted that they were informed by UAE that they had “serious security information about the possibility of terrorist attacks” involving either Tunisian women or a women with a Tunisian passport.
Local media in Tunisia note that the UAE Thursday indicated to Tunisia that restrictions targeting Tunisian women were lifted.
A report by Arabi 21 webiste relayed by Middle East Eye (MEE) notes that the Emirati foreign ministry issued a document including eight recommendations for the North African country to abide by.
The main recommendation according to the website was “the mobilisation of media sites inside Tunisia against the Ennahda Party, and to claim that it is responsible for the large numbers of Tunisian women who joined the Islamic State group”.
The media argued that the move aimed at harming the image of Tunisian women, previously associated with freedom and progress.
The UAE is wary of Ennahda which it considers as branch of Muslim Brotherhood. The Gulf country also loathes the party for its links with Qatar; its main regional rival. Ennahda last year dropped its Islamist ideology.
UAE: Tunisia allows Emirates flights back
