Beaches, parks, cinemas, restaurants and shopping malls have all begun to reopen in Dubai amid the coronavirus pandemic.
While, in many places, children under the age of 12 and those over 60 are not permitted, here's a list of the more family-friendly entertainment facilities that are also now open to the public.
The Green Planet
As of Monday, June 1, Dubai's famous indoor rainforest has opened to nature and animal lovers between the ages of 12 and 60. With that, it has also introduced a couple of new "wildlife" experiences, including Zookeepers for the Day and VIP tours, which latter of which costs an extra Dh160 on top of general admission (Dh120 at the gate or Dh110 online).
The former, which costs Dh390, allows people to explore what it's like to be a Green Planet biologist for a day. You can do it in groups of up to six people, and it includes a three-hour guided tour of the facility, animal feeding and behind-the-scenes experiences of caring for the critters.
The biodome is home to more than 3,000 exotic plants and animals, including sloths, piranhas and even a few creepy crawlies in The Australian Walkabout section.
Take a look through the pictures below at some of the birds you might spot there:
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The channel billed toucan at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Golden Conure at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Sun Conure at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The white crested turaco at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The great blue turaco at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The red billed toucan at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The fairy bluebird at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The channel billed toucan at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The red crested turaco at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The violet turaco at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Bali starling / mynah at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Seba's short-tailed bat at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Purple glossy starling at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sun Conure at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Purple crested turaco at The Green Planet, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
There are a number of measures in place to keep visitors safe, including self-scanning tickets, social-distancing enforcement, an hourly disinfection programme that covers all touchpoints, as well as a daily deep cleaning.
All guests must wear face masks and have their temperature checked and feet cleaned before entering. Communal areas will operate at a lower capacity than usual.
XLine Dubai Marina
The world's longest urban zip line reopened on Wednesday, June 3. It will operate four days per week, from Wednesday to Saturday, between 3.30pm and 6.30pm each day and there's a special summer offer of Dh399 per person (almost half the regular price, which is Dh650) or Dh699 per tandem (normally Dh1,200).
Strict health and safety measures have been put in place. Firstly, you'll need to wear a mask and gloves throughout the entire experience. It will also be running at a limited capacity, with a maximum of four customers in each time slot, and you will only be able to pay via credit card (in person or online).
Both staff and customers will also be subject to a mandatory temperature check prior to the experience, and there will be a focus on deep cleaning and sanitisation.
Children under the age of 12 and those over 60 are not allowed.
Ski Dubai
The indoor ski slopes at Mall of the Emirates reopened on Wednesday, May 27.
Prices start from Dh210 for two hours on the slopes, or you can avail the summer pass, which costs Dh250 for unlimited access to the snow park, rides, chair lift and Mountain Thriller, plus one of the following: Snow Bullet ride, penguin encounter, ski or snowboard lesson, or slope session.
Majid Al Futtaim operates Ski Dubai and a number of entertainment venues across the city that are now open, including Dreamscape, Vox Cinemas and Magic Planet. The company is using fogging machines at all of its venues to ensure the disinfection of large areas, while all surfaces within the venues are sanitised after every guest interaction, with particular attention paid to countertops and payment terminals.
All guests are encouraged to pre-book tickets to limit the need for any queues, and contactless payment is encouraged where possible. Both staff and guests are required to wear masks as per the government’s guidelines, and temperature checks are carried out upon arrival.
Al Shindagha Museum, Etihad Museum and the Coins Museum
Dubai Culture and Arts Authority announced Dubai museums will reopen in a phased manner from Monday, June 1.
These three museums were part of the initial reopening phase. Al Shindagha Museum and Etihad Museum are now both operating between the hours of 10am and 5pm daily, while the Coins Museum in Al Fahidi Historical District is open from 8am to 2pm, Sunday to Thursday.
This is the Perfume House at Al Shindagha:
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The courtyard at Dubai Culture's Perfume House. The museum is housed within the former home of Sheikha Sheikha bint Saeed bin Maktoum, who was an avid perfumer. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Inside, the museum uses technology and interactive elements to tell the story of perfume in the UAE. Reem Mohammed / The National -
From musk to rose, find out about common scents in the region here. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Discover more about other ingredients used to create Middle Eastern fragrances, too, such as saffron and myrtle flowers. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Yas (myrtle) flowers and leaves on display at the courtyard at Dubai Culture's Perfume House. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Traditional medkhans for liban (frankincense) on display at Dubai Culture's Perfume House. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Many of the items inside were part of Sheikha Sheikha bint Saeed bin Maktoum's personal collection. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Traditional medkhans on display at Dubai Culture's Perfume House. Reem Mohammed / The National -
The collection includes Sheikha Sheikha's perfume application and a 28kg piece of oud she had in her house, as well as artefacts from other notable Emiratis. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Find custom-made smelling devices throughout the museum. Reem Mohammed / The National -
The museum mixes traditional architecture and old artefacts with state-of-the-art technology and other interactive, modern elements. Reem Mohammed / The National -
There's also a perfume workshop where you can learn how to mix your own fragrance using an interactive mixing table. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Traditional medkhans on display. Reem Mohammed / The National -
You hear about the history of perfume in the region via video interviews from first, second and third-generation Emiratis, who talk about their family’s perfuming traditions. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Learn more about the country's perfuming traditions through a variety of Emirati characters. Reem Mohammed / The National -
The museum also houses artefacts from other notable Emiratis, and those sourced from sites such as Saruq Al Hadid, an archaeological site in Dubai. Reem Mohammed / The National -
An Emirati girl in traditional dress is depicted next to the story of how saffron has customarily been used for well-being. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Al Shindagha Museum, when complete, will consist of 23 museums, as part of the Dubai Historical District project. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Al Shindagha was the residence of the Al Maktoum family until as recently as 1958, and was the home of the Dubai monarch at the time, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, the grandfather of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. Reem Mohammed / The National -
The Perfume House is located near to the Historical Documents Centre. Reem Mohammed / The National
There are a number of protocols in place to ensure the safety of visitors. The sites have a visitor capacity of 50 per cent and anyone under the age of 12 and over 60 are not permitted.
Groups of no more than five people are allowed, while events and celebrations of any type are prohibited on-site.
Routine sterilisation is taking place and all guests are asked to maintain a distance of two metres from other people. Everyone has their temperature checked before entering, and staff members and visitors are required to wear face masks at all times while on the museums’ premises. Designated isolation areas have been earmarked for anyone who is suspected of having Covid-19.
While ticket offices are operational, Dubai Culture urges visitors to use their Nol cards or credit cards to buy entry, to avoid any handling of cash or paper tickets. Tickets can be bought online via the At The Top, Burj Khalifa ticketing portal.
Dubai Frame
On Friday, May 29, as beaches and parks reopened, so too did one of the city's most famous attractions: the Dubai Frame.
Its current operating hours are 12.30pm to 7.30pm, although children under the age of 12 and people over 60 are not allowed to visit.
Safety measures in place include temperature checks for guests on arrival, hand sanitisers and biological waste bins situated at various points around the attraction, limited visitor capacity and social distancing of two metres between people. Staff and guests are also required to wear masks at all times.
Burj Khalifa's At the Top
The observation deck in the world's tallest tower reopened to the public on Wednesday, May 27.
To monitor the number of visitors, there is only one ticket type available, the Dh99 admission option, which allows guests access to the 124th and 125th floors.
Visitors can book tickets online and at counters, which are also open, at The Dubai Mall. Guests are expected to wear face masks and follow Dubai municipality's social distancing regulations.
XDubai Skatepark
Dubai's popular skatepark reopened to the public ahead of the Eid break.
The park, located close to Kite Beach, features a range of ledges, rails, ramps, banks and blocks, as well as the XBowl, where skaters can practise tricks.
It is offering three months of unlimited access for Dh399 or regular tickets cost Dh45 per session for one user and one spectator.
There are three "sessions", with the park open from 8am to 11.30am, from 3pm to 6.30pm and 7pm to 9pm.
The park is adhering to strict social-distancing measures to ensure all users are safe and protected. Entry is limited to 100 people at any one time and face masks must be worn at all times. There will also be temperature checks upon arrival.
The attraction, which welcomes guests of all abilities, offers the rental of skateboards and scooters, although for the moment it will only be accepting card payments, no cash.
Quranic Park
The world's first Quran-inspired park reopened to the public in time to mark Eid Al Fitr. Now guests are able to once again visit more than 60 hectares of green space dedicated to the teachings of the holy book.
The park in pictures:
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A view of the Glass House at the Quranic Park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
The entrance of the Quranic Park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
A view of the Quranic Park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
A view of the pond at the Quranic Park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Solar panel trees are seen on the pathway at Dubai's Quranic Park in Dubai. Reuters -
The Glass House at the Quranic Park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
The trees planted inside the Glass House are those mentioned in the Quran. Pawan Singh / The National -
Various types of trees planted inside the Glass House at the Quranic Park in Dubai. (Pawan Singh / The National -
The Glass House is home to 29 different plants and trees, including the olive tree, figs, aloe vera and more. Pawan Singh / The National -
A view of the Cave of Miracles at the Quranic Park in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
The man-made cave depicts miracles that occurred in the Quran. Pawan Singh / The National -
Video displays appear in various sections of the cave. Pawan Singh / The National
Visitors must adhere to social distancing protocols. This means groups of people should not exceed more than five, and everyone should wear a face mask covering their nose and mouth.
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
The Dubai Mall attraction, one of the world's largest aquariums, opened on Wednesday, May 27, with a number of safety measures in place.
This includes temperature checks on arrival, regular disinfections, enforced social distancing and hand sanitiser stations dotted throughout the underwater zoo.
It's currently open from noon until 10pm. The tunnel experience costs Dh35 and full aquarium and zoo experience costs Dh75. Reel Cinemas ticketholders will receive 50 per cent off tickets.
Visitors should book online in advance. Children under 12 and people over the age of 60 are not allowed in.
