A late afternoon in Dubai, early December. Alexandra, Justine, Agathe and Charles, four friends between the ages of 25 and 30, enjoy a glass of rosé by the pool of a palace. Originally from Toulon and Saint-Etienne, they flew to the Gulf emirate the night before, ” on a whim “. The fact that life has returned to almost normal in the rowdy city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after very strict containment in the spring, convinced the little band to go there for ten days of vacation.
“Ciao France! “, exclaims Charles, mockingly, picking up a watermelon platter. “Anyway, with the Covid, there is nothing to do, adds the young man, who works in real estate. We have the right to sign at the notary, but not the right to visit. So what’s the point of going to work? ” Justine, an employee of the automotive sector, confesses the same fed up with the restrictions in place in France. “We can’t do anything anymore, she says, we are like children deprived of dessert. ”
Their substitute treat is therefore Dubai, a refuge, a bubble away from the epidemic… or almost. The UAE, a federation of seven micro-monarchies, is spared the second wave which is sweeping through Europe and the United States. After stiffening in late summer, the infection curve stabilized in early October, with an average of 1,300 cases per day. The daily number of deaths, which peaked at 13 in May, no longer exceeds the 5 mark. It is the result of a massive screening policy, unwavering collective discipline and a cutting-edge hospital sector. .
“Light” sanitary constraints
In Abu Dhabi, the political capital of the UAE, the fortnight is still required for all newcomers. Nothing like it in Dubai, the empire of “fun”. After sacrificing the rite of the PCR test when they get off the plane, visitors can rush to the attractions that the city is famous for: extravagant restaurants, labyrinthine malls and soaring towers, like the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest. . The only downsides to the local hedonistic imperative: the obligation to wear a mask in town, a maximum capacity of eight people per table, and the ban on dancing and consuming at the counter.
These health constraints light aim to restart tourism and retail trade, the two cash cows of the emirate. Other measures have been adopted in this perspective, such as the authorization of cohabitation for foreigners and the relaxation of the rules governing the purchase of alcohol. Pending Christmas, a traditional peak in attendance, this policy attracts a clientele of Europeans delighted to escape the rigors of confinement, including many French.
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