Latest: How to greet someone at a Dubai wedding without touching
Wedding receptions with up to 200 guests can now be held in Dubai, following a months-long suspension on large gatherings.
On Sunday, the emirate's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management lifted a ban on wedding receptions and social events at homes, hotels, halls and tents from October 22.
Each hall can host a maximum of 200 people, while parties at homes and tents should not exceed 30 people, with a rule of one person per four square metres of venue space.
Guests should avoid shaking hands, kissing or hugging and instead employ "non-physical greetings", the committee said.
Face masks are mandatory at all times except when seated at a table of no more than five people and guests should avoid sitting face-to-face.
A distance of at least 1.5m should be maintained between each attending individual.
Anyone experiencing symptoms such as coughing or fever should not attend any social gatherings, the committee said.
And elderly people as well as those with chronic health conditions are advised not to attend.
The committee has sent these mandatory guidelines to hotels, halls and service providers. All precautionary measures must be strictly implemented at events, that cannot exceed four hours each.
Regulations governing wedding receptions will be strictly enforced with any offences punished with penalties.
The committee called on members of the community to comply with precautionary measures and avoid large gatherings that do not adhere to guidelines.
On March 16, the committee suspended all social events and weddings - both at home and in wedding halls - until the end of the month. At the time, the UAE had reported 98 cases of Covid-19. The suspension of events was extended until further notice.
