As part of the serious measures it's taking amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak spreading across the region, the UAE announced major changes to its travel rules. 

As of Friday, all Emirati nationals, GCC citizens, and expats arriving or traveling from the Gulf state will "be required to use their passports, and not their national identity cards, to enter and exit UAE airports," Gulf News reported. 

The decision, which comes in line with the World Health Organization's recommendations, was issued by the UAE's Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA). It aims to curb the spread of the viral illness by allowing passport controllers to review the countries passengers visited in the last few weeks. This information is not usually featured on ID cards and is only available on passports.  

A source at ICA told Gulf News that "the suspension covers people [sic] all nationalities and expatriates who have registered with e-gate and are permitted to travel with ID cards."

UAE residents who left the Gulf state using ID cards and remain abroad are excluded from the directive, so are expats who arrived in the country and are still in the nation. 

The authority stressed that the suspension is temporary and subject to review as the outbreak continues to develop.

The first COVID-19 case to be reported in the region was confirmed by the UAE on Jan. 29. As of Thursday night, the Gulf state has confirmed a total of 19 cases. Five of those who were infected in the country made full recoveries while the rest continue to be monitored under quarantine.

The country continues to take strict measures in a bid to prevent the illness from spreading further. 

COVID-19 is on the verge of becoming a pandemic

The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan in December 2019, is on the verge of becoming a pandemic as it has now been confirmed in 52 countries. 

As of Feb. 27, over 83,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported worldwide and the illness has claimed around 2,800 lives. 

The disease has also spread in the Arab world, which has seen a significant rise in cases this week mostly due to an outbreak in Iran.