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Dubai issues guidelines to restart water sports, sky diving

Dubai - Any outdoor activity exceeding five people will remain prohibited, as will be indoor activities, parties and other events.

Dubai Tourism on Tuesday issued a set of guidelines for a proposed restart of outdoor tourism and sporting activities in the wake of social-distancing measures implemented in the UAE to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The body also announced an ease in restrictions for private beaches in hotels and other sporting activities. While it is not known yet when the proposed guidelines will come into effect, the circular indicates that any outdoor tourism or sporting activity that comprises 1-5 people will be allowed.
Watersports, boating and biking activities will be permitted and the authorities will issue equipment for the same.
This also includes jet-skiing and sky-diving.
Any outdoor activity exceeding five people will remain prohibited, as will indoor activities, parties and other events.
Access to hotel beaches will be permitted, along with watersports and boat and bike rentals for five people or less. Amenities such as sauna, spa and pool facilities, gyms, fitness and health clubs are excluded from the prescribed guidelines. Children's play areas, sporting equipment, indoor shower facilities, provision for linen, prayer rooms and other events will remain closed.
The operating hours will comply with rest of the emirates.
Restrictions and Protocols:
Health and Hygiene 
- Usage of shower facilities is not allowed.
- Customers to bring personal linens for use.
- All utensils on board must be disposable.
- All boats to be fully cleansed of garbage and disinfected (including jet skis) after every use.
- Life jackets to be disinfected after every use.
- Rental equipment to be disinfected after each use.
- Compulsory wearing of gloves and masks while using self-renting equipment.
- Compulsory wearing of gloves and masks for all visitors (including children).
- Mandatory temperature checks for on-site staff and compulsory wearing of masks and gloves for all staff in facility.
 
Social Distancing
General
- All staff to practise social-distancing guidelines across operating facility, as required by DM guidelines.
- Two-metre-clear distance between people, and four-metre clear distance between two groups of people.
- Not more than five people in one group (can be family, friends or trainers, etc)
 
Jet Skis
- One person allowed on.
 
Sky Dive
- Capacity: Reduce flight capacity to ensure social distancing (2 metres).
- All equipment to be thoroughly sterilised between uses, especially harnesses and protection gear.
- Customers are encouraged to use/purchase and bring their own goggles.
- Customers and professional divers to undergo temperature check and wear full gear.
- All jumpers are required to wear a face mask to board the aircraft and wear it for the duration of the ride to altitude.
- Jumpers are allowed to remove their masks during jumping to avoid any chance of the mask affecting their breath, shifting or obscuring their vision.
- Sky-dive companies should administer this measure by clearly instructing divers to ensure removal of masks during free fall.
- No tandem jumps allowed at this stage.
 
Regulation and Policies
- Public beaches are still closed for general public, except for the following activities:
- F&B is allowed.
- Restaurants, cafes and food stands to follow necessary guidelines for the sector.
- Contactless payments to be encouraged, yet cash payments are allowed.
- Public announcements and placement of rules in highly visible areas, including entrances and other public areas.
 
Digital and tech
- Provide thermal scanners/cameras/thermometers for health checks to monitor potential infected cases (wherever possible and applicable).
- Mass communication to public through digital channels and media for guidelines and compliance.
 
 
FOR PRIVATE BEACHES
Restrictions and Protocols
 
Health and Hygiene
- Mandatory temperature checks for all on-site staff and compulsory wearing of masks and gloves for all staff in facility.
- All staff to practise social-distancing guidelines across the facility, as required by DM guidelines.
- High-intensity sanitisation of full common space at beaches in line with DM guidelines (includes toilets, shower areas, food kiosks, any other applicable areas) post-operation hours.
- Ensure cleaning all areas after each use.
- Closure of shower areas/general toilet areas.
- Guests to bring their own belongings (towels, linens, etc).
- Ensure availability of hand sanitisers in all areas (toilets, etc).
- All utensils on board must be disposable.
- Compulsory wearing of masks for all guests (including children).
- Mandatory isolation zones provisioned to host suspected cases until transition to DHA for further checks (where applicable)
 Life jackets to be disinfected after each use.
 
 
Social distancing
- Two-metre-clear distance between people and four-metre-clear distance between two groups of people in beaches and for sun beds (two metre if same family for sun beds).
- Not more than 10 people in one group on the beach (can be family, friends or trainers, etc).
- Open at lower capacity (30 per cent) to allow for sufficient social distancing.
 
Regulation and Policies
- Access only limited to hotel guests whereas selling beach access tickets to non-hotel guests is not allowed.
- F&B is allowed.
- Restaurants, cafes and food stands to follow necessary guidelines for the sector.
- Watersports activities to follow previously announced guidelines.
- Contactless payments to be encouraged, yet cash payments are allowed.
- Public announcements and placement of rules in highly visible areas, including entrances and other public areas.
 
Digital and Tech
- Provide thermal scanners/cameras/thermometers for health checks to monitor potential infected cases (wherever possible and applicable).
- Mass communication to public through digital channels and media for guidelines and compliance.
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