DUBAI TO RESUME COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES FROM FRIDAY, APRIL 24

The Dubai Media Office has officially announced that it will resume commercial activities in the emirate starting Friday, April 24.

Move permits will no longer be needed as traffic restrictions will be lifted between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm.

In a statement, they confirmed that shopping malls will open from 12:00 pm until 10:00 pm daily, however, leisure and entertainment facilities will remain closed.

According to the media office, this includes cinemas, the Dubai Mall fountain, changing rooms, arcades, changing rooms and prayer rooms.

The decision to re-open shopping centres comes after all malls were shut as part of the UAE government’s effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

They clarified that people’s temperatures will be checked before entering the mall as a precautionary measure.

Establishments have also been instructed to reach only 30 per cent of their total capacity.

Children and residents above the age of 60 will not be allowed to enter shopping centres as they are among the most vulnerable segments of society.

Officials revealed that restaurants and cafes will be operating inside malls but must keep a two-metre distance between each table to abide by the social distancing guidelines.

Buffets and serving shisha will remain strictly prohibited until further notice.

They have also explained that people who fail to wear face masks at all times in public will be slapped with a AED1,000 fine.