Restrictions across Dubai have eased considerably over the past few days but some measures remain in place to keep people safe from Covid-19.
Most public spaces can now be freely accessed by people of all ages as long as they maintain at least 2 metres distance with others, wear a face mask and sanitise often.
But what has changed and what are the rules on visiting places? The National explains.
What are the new age limits for public places across Dubai?
Most notably, this week Dubai eased restrictions on children under 12 and those over 60 years old from Thursday, June 18.
The emirate's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced that people from both age groups can now go to swimming pools, play areas, cinemas, gyms and shopping malls.
They are also allowed to visit museums, art galleries, public libraries, beaches and public parks.
Home beauty services are also permitted for children and the elderly.
Elective surgical procedures lasting more than two and a half hours have also been allowed.
What is the capacity limit on gyms and can sports resume?
Gyms are also now allowed to function at 100 per cent capacity, after previously being set to a limit of 50 per cent.
Safety precautions remain in place, including wearing masks, regular sanitation, temperature checks on entry and social distancing.
Shower facilities, lockers and changing rooms are permitted, conditional that cleaning and sanitisation is performed after every use, or at a minimum once every hour.
Facilities unable to maintain social distancing, must reduce their capacity, while fitness centres need to make sure there are no more than two trainees with every Personal Trainer, and that the mandatory 2m distance is maintained between them.
The regulations also require facilities to display public announcements, and awareness signs in highly visible areas. They must also maintain adequate records of their members, including names, telephone numbers and visit dates, to assist if contact tracing becomes necessary.
Facilities are also required to have a contingency plan in case of a possible infection on the premises.
Sport venues must apply for a permit with Dubai Sports Council before resuming activities.
Children aged 12 and under and people over 60 can now take part in sporting activities too.
What about other public places?
Dubai Culture said all public libraries could also now reopen, with the exception of the Al Ras branch.
Libraries will resume their operations between 10am and 5pm daily except on Fridays.
Precautionary measures including thermal screening, social distancing, and regular use of hand sanitiser is mandatory for visitors and staff. Face masks must be worn at all times and all areas of the library will be frequently disinfected.
Entertainment and leisure attractions, such as The Green Planet, Dubai Aquarium, Burj Khalifa's viewing deck and water parks, are all now also welcoming visitors again.
Dubai's museums have also begun reopening in a phased manner.
Major parks and public beaches have also reopened, including Jumeirah Beach Residence, Al Mamzar, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim beaches. Last week, officials in Dubai fined more than 100 beachgoers for failing to abide by the strict precautionary measures in place. They include a ban on gathering in groups of more than five, and mandatory masks if they are not in the water.
Marine and water sports competitions have also been given the go ahead to resume.
What are the safety measures?
The announcements are part of a gradual reopening of economic activities and return to normalcy in the emirate.
Stringent precautionary measures will continue to be enforced in public areas and facilities across Dubai based on guidelines issued by local and federal authorities.
Activities permitted within sectors that resumed their operations in the last few weeks will continue observing specific precautionary measures aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of the public.
Authorities have reiterated the need to following strict precautionary measures, including wearing face masks, maintaining a distance of two metres from others and avoiding crowded areas. Emiratis and residents are also advised to keep washing their hands and not to touch their faces to avoid potential infection.
What is the status on Covid-19 in Dubai?
Dubai is able to ease all these measures because the threat of coronavirus has decreased since the initial outbreak.
This week, officials said the emirate was on track to curb the spread of the virus as the daily number of recoveries in the UAE exceeded new infections for nine consecutive days.
The emirate’s Covid-19 Command and Control Centre said the precautionary measures and adherence by the public have helped reduce the number of new cases.
The centre also reported a decrease in the number of suspected cases visiting hospitals in the past few weeks.
Dr Amer Sharif, head of the centre, said several hospitals in Dubai are now free of any Covid-19 cases.
He attributed the progress to the government's strong strategic plan to combat the outbreak.
The consistent drop in the number of new cases has been made possible as people adhere to strict precautionary measures.
“[We need] to continue following guidelines and adhering to preventive measures such as physical distancing and use of sanitisers," he said.
“The easing of movement restrictions in the emirate and the reopening of economic activities were smoothly implemented due to the co-operation of all members of the community.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
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
Barings Bank
Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal.
Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson.
Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
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
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now