Dubai’s shopping malls and private businesses will be allowed to fully operate at 100% starting tomorrow, June 3.
The move is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as per a tweet from the Dubai Media Office.
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#Dubai's shopping malls and private sector businesses to fully operate at 100% capacity. pic.twitter.com/F3h8ynBK1D
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 2, 2020
Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, headed by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced that shopping malls and the private sector can operate at 100 per cent capacity starting Wednesday, 3 June 2020.
Working hours for companies and operating hours of malls should fall within the timings permitted for public movement, which are currently between 6.00 am and 11.00 pm. According to the Committee, shopping malls have the freedom to choose any set of operating hours within the period in which public movement is permitted.
The Committee said the decision is part of the gradual reopening of economic activities in the emirate and efforts to restore normalcy, while ensuring precautionary measures are strictly enforced to protect the safety and wellbeing of employees, visitors and customers at shopping malls and companies.
The move aims to ensure the private sector is able to resume normal activity without compromising on preventive steps aimed at protecting people’s health and safety, the Committee said. Key measures include temperature screening of employees, visitors and customers, and provision of an isolation room for suspected cases. Companies must restrict the number of employees allowed to be present in the pantry at any given time and ensure all mandatory guidelines outlined by health authorities are followed.
The Committee said private sector employees suffering from respiratory conditions and those with compromised immunity are advised to continue working remotely from home.
It stressed on the need for employees of private sector companies and shopping malls, and visitors to these locations, to strictly follow precautionary measures, including wearing face masks, maintaining a minimum distance of two metres from others, using hand sanitisers and regularly washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
The Supreme Committee urged shopping malls to adhere to all precautionary guidelines to ensure the safety of employees and visitors. Mandatory measures include frequently sterilising all facilities and common areas in malls, providing sanitisers across the mall and its entrances, and screening people’s temperature at entrances to identify suspected cases and take necessary measures. All shopping malls are required to provide a dedicated room to isolate suspected cases in accordance with protocols.
Inspections will be held to ensure full adherence to guidelines. Both members of the public and shopping malls will face fines if they violate guidelines.
Earlier, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council expressed his confidence that Dubai is “taking off again” and is optimistic that the emirate’s resilience and efficiency will be a model for the world to emulate.
“We have learnt from Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to defeat the impossible, and to turn the challenge into an opportunity to consolidate our achievements and benefit from our readiness and to rapidly adapt with new reality,” said His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.
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His Highness further said: “Today, we are ready and we announce to the world that life continues, and impossible is not in our dictionary. And the good news is that things are good, and today we are more competitive to deal with the post COVID-19 era with confidence and innovative thinking to set a new model in dealing with pandemic and consolidating efforts.”
