Planes grounded, schools shut, borders closed; the pandemic came at us like an unhinged freight train.<\/p>\n
And although there’s still a way to go, we can see a trend of decreasing COVID-19 cases, coupled with a successful vaccination programme, and finally, (FINALLY!) we can breathe a sigh of relief. There is light at the end of this COVID tunnel.<\/p>\n
It’s just over a year since DXB announced it would close and this fact alone still shocks me. The world’s largest airport for international travel announcing it would close with less than 24 hours notice, in what world does that happen?<\/p>\n
This was one decision, among many, taken by governments around the world and a year on, we’re looking back at how Dubai changed and what we learned about this city when it tackled one of its greatest challenges so far.<\/p>\n
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I went to my first drive-thru cinema during COVID. It was at that stage when leaving home still felt weird, but VOX at Mall of the Emirates pulled out all the stops making movie-going feel safe at a scary time.<\/p>\n
But more impressive still was the small businesses that pulled through. When the government made the call that restaurants\/cafes\/salons\/offices could open, at reduced capacity, small venues immediately got to work. Staff were kitted out in protective gear and digital QR menu codes and transparent shields between tables appeared overnight. When the rest of the world stayed home, we gradually resumed normal operations.<\/p>\n
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A post shared by Malak al Tawouk – UAE (@malakaltawoukuae)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n