Coronavirus: Dubai suspends live entertainment permits as COVID-19 cases surge
January 21, 2021, 11:14 am

Coronavirus: Dubai suspends live entertainment permits as COVID-19 cases surge

Two men play backgammon while smoking a shisha water pipe at a restaurant overlooking the canal and the Dubai Marina neighborhood in Dubai on May 1, 2015. (AP)

Dubai has suspended live entertainment permits for hotels and restaurants amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, according to an official circular issued by Dubai Tourism.

“The Department observed, through field inspection, an increase in number violations during entertainment activities in hotels and restaurants. Accordingly, the Department directs all concerned in hotel establishments and restaurants to temporarily hold entertainment activities as of Thursday, January 21, 2021 until further notice,” the notice addressed to hotel and restaurant owners and managers read.

Authorities have also issued more than 200 violations and shut down 20 businesses for “non-compliance with guidelines,” according to the Dubai Media Office.

https://twitter.com/DXBMediaOffice/status/1352129917203439616

The situation will be reassessed by health authorities and changes will be announced accordingly.

Dubai health authorities earlier issued a notice to suspend non-essential surgery for one month but could extend the suspension for a longer period.

The daily number of infections in the United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai, crossed the 3,000 threshold on January 12 and has continued to climb, hitting 3,506 on Wednesday.

It is the highest in the Gulf Arab region where daily cases in each of the other five states have fallen below 500.

Visitors have flocked to Dubai, an international travel hub that is gearing up to host the Expo 2020 world fair in October, as other countries imposed new lockdowns.

The UAE has lifted most coronavirus restrictions but mask-wearing in public and social distancing are still required.

Britain this month removed the UAE from its travel corridors list due to the spike in infections.

The Gulf state has ramped up its immunization campaign with the aim of vaccinating more than 50 percent of its roughly 9 million population, a majority of whom are expatriates, before the end of March.

It has approved the vaccine developed by Sinopharm's China National Pharmaceutical Group and made it available to the general public. Dubai is inoculating people with the vaccine produced by Pfizer and Biotic.

source: Joanne Serrieh

Image source: AP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”