As restaurants across the UAE are now open again, The National finds out exactly what diners can expect from eating out.
Dubai
In late April, restaurants in Dubai were allowed to reopen with a limited capacity of 30 per cent. This has since been increased to a 50 per cent capacity, with strict guidelines on ensuring social distancing between tables.
As with other industries, workers and customers must have their temperatures checked on arrival, plus wear face masks when entering and leaving, but not while eating. People over the age of 60 are not permitted in restaurants.
Are hospitality employees regularly tested for Covid-19?
There are no rules regarding regular Covid-19 testing, but in line with governmental requirements, employees must have their temperatures checked frequently and if they are showing any symptoms, they are isolated immediately.
How often are tables and chairs disinfected in the restaurants?
As per official guidelines, tables and chairs are to be disinfected after each use and before a shift.
Eugenie Dronneau of FoodKarma says: “Food and beverage vendors are disinfecting every table and chair after every guest use, and several times a day even if empty, along with a team assigned to sanitise all heavy touchpoint areas several times during the day, ending with a deep general sanitation daily at closing time.”
Restaurants at Atlantis The Palm, for example, are doing this: “We have increased disinfection of high touchpoint areas across restaurants and bars, including hostess desks, service stations, service carts, beverage stations, counters, handrails and trays. These are sanitised at least once every hour by a dedicated team.
“All restaurant tables, bar tops, stools and chairs will be sanitised using hospital-grade disinfection chemicals before and after each use.”
Do all restaurant staff have to wear masks at all times, including chefs?
Yes. As per the government’s guidelines, all staff front- and back-of-house must wear face masks. Dronneau explains: “All restaurant staff, without exception, are required to wear masks and gloves at all times. Masks and gloves are also changed several times a day at the restaurant’s discretion, but in our experience many are taking conservative measures and doing this regularly.”
Are disposable plates and cutlery mandatory?
These are only mandatory to use at certain restaurants. Duncan Fraser-Smith, a founding member of the Middle East Restaurant Association and founder of Cutting Edge Hospitality Agency, explains: “Restaurants that are equipped with the appropriate high-intensity deep clean and sterilisation dishwashing machines, as approved by the relevant UAE authorities, are utilising those facilities to maintain the highest levels of cleanliness and sanitisation of crockery, cutlery and glassware.
“Those outlets that do not meet that requirement are required to use single-use, disposable options.”
At the Atlantis restaurants, which have the correct equipment, reusable options are available and plates, glassware and cutlery are mechanically disinfected using a dishwasher operating above 82°C.
Is there a limit to the number of people that can be seated at one table?
The restaurants at Atlantis The Palm will not seat more than five people per table.
This is always subject to change and numbers have varied in the recent past, however, says Fraser-Smith. “We are constantly monitoring the directives from the relevant UAE authorities and sharing that with those in the industry, as this is a very dynamic situation.”
Will venues that used to host birthday parties and special events still be able to do that?
No, not at the moment, as events are prohibited.
Can I go to brunch?
Yes, brunch is back at a number of Dubai restaurants, but with strict guidelines in place. For example, as per municipality guidelines, buffets are currently not permitted, but many Friday brunches are still returning.
Here's a list of restaurants that are now offering Friday brunch packages.
Are buffets allowed?
No. Because of the nature of buffet spreads, which involve various customers handling the same equipment and dip into the same dishes, these have been put on hold for the foreseeable future.
Check out our article on the future of self-service buffets for more information.
Are children allowed to eat out?
Children between the ages of 3 and 12 are allowed into independent and hotel restaurants.
However, children below the age of 12, and those above the age of 60, are still not allowed to enter malls, cinemas or sports facilities. So, by default, food and beverage outlets within malls are off-limits for children, for now.
Here's a list of 15 restaurants you can take your children to in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi
Early in May, Abu Dhabi's restaurants were allowed to reopen with limited capacity of up to 30 per cent, although this is expected to increase to 40 per cent next week.
This includes outlets outside malls, which can have up to two people seated at each table, which must be distanced at least 2.5 metres apart.
Payments can only be made electronically. Staff and customers must wear masks and gloves and disinfectants must be used frequently.
Outlets must only serve food and drink using disposable cutlery, and hand sanitiser dispensers must be available.
Adults over the age of 60 and children under the age of 12 are not permitted.
Northern Emirates
Restaurants are now open with limited capacity and strict safety measures in place across all of the northern emirates.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Bournemouth 0
Manchester United 2
Smalling (28'), Lukaku (70')
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKenneth%20W%20Harl%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHanover%20Square%20Press%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E576%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
