Coronavirus: Dubai closes all restaurants, coffee shops
March 23, 2020, 9:36 am

Coronavirus: Dubai closes all restaurants, coffee shops

A deserted restaurant in Dubai’s marina. (File photo AFP)

Dubai announced that all restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, coffee shops, and food services establishments in the city would close for two weeks from Monday, March 23, in a move to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus

The news follows an announcement Monday morning that all restaurants in the UAE would close from Wednesday as part of a general closing of all malls, shopping centers, commercial centers, and open markets except for fish, vegetable and meat markets.

“Restaurants and cafes at hotels and hotel apartments serving guests only, and food delivery services and transportation are exempt from the closure,” the statement read.

The latest measures are the latest attempt to limit human-to-human contact in the UAE, which is the primary way in which the deadly coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, is spread.

https://twitter.com/DXBMediaOffice/status/1242028755306119168

The UAE first introduced measures in February, when it announced measures including stopping flights to Iran, the country which has been the center of the outbreak in the Middle East. All flights to and from the UAE are now due to be suspended from Wednesday.

Since then, it has announced the closure of schools for four weeks and a raft of entertainment and leisure facilities including bars, beaches, gyms, and tourist sites.

Authorities have begun to enforce some of the bans. In Dubai, authorities closed down nine shisha cafes for disobeying orders to close. On Sunday, Dubai police arrested a European citizen for refusing to leave a beach.

The economic fight

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, and authorities react with shuttering businesses and closing borders, analysts have begun to sound the alarm that the coronavirus will cause an economic recession, which may kill more people than the virus.

The UAE government has responded by opening its considerable coffers to help the economy and those affected. On March 14, the UAE Central Bank announced a 100 billion dirham ($27.2 billion) economic support scheme to support the country’s banking system. Two days earlier, Dubai announced a smaller 1.5 billion dirham package for businesses.

Credit ratings company Moody’s Investors Service said later that the central bank’s package would “soften coronavirus’ blow to economy and banks.”

On Sunday, the UAE approved an additional 16 billion dirhams, which has brought the total economic stimulus package to 126 billion dirhams in the country, according to a Tweet from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and Ruler of the emirate of Dubai. levant

source: Matthew Amlôt levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.