Sheikh Mohammed says Dubai is back; here are 5 reasons why

Dubai is back again, said the Dubai ruler on Sunday. Roughly a year and a half since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, UAE nationals and residents’ lives have returned to ‘a new normal’ – one that is filled with renewed hope and vigour.

“Dubai is back again, and the global aviation sector is returning through Dubai and the UAE. The world gathers with us in the Emirates to talk about its economy, future and culture. Welcome everybody,” tweeted His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

UAE has seen a dramatic drop in Covid-19 cases in recent months, hitting 66 new cases on Sunday. An impressive 8.81 million UAE nationals and residents have been vaccinated in the country. Multiple large-scale business, social and sporting events have been taking place safely and successfully, witnessing large visitor numbers in various Emirates across the country.

“Maybe our habits might change a little. We will adjust and make some changes in our habits such as our work, our children’s education or our private lives such as going out, seeing people and being visited by people,” His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces said early last month.

Here are the top five reasons which prove Dubai has nearly recovered from the pandemic.

> Recovery of Dubai’s aviation sector

After suffering tremendous losses in 2020, Dubai is now leading the aviation sector’s recovery in UAE. Emirates Airlines reported a 2021-22 half-year net loss of Dhs5.7bn, marking an improvement from Dhs 14.1bn loss for the same period last year. Sharjah’s Air Arabia got back into profit during the third quarter of 2021.

• Dubai is back, Sheikh Mohammed declares at Airshow 2021 opening

Dubai Airshow, taking place this week, is the first major global aerospace exhibition in the two years since the aviation industry was brutally hit by the pandemic. Deals worth more than Dh137 billion were signed on the first day of the airshow.

“Today, I witnessed part of the activities of Dubai Airshow where 148 countries, 1,200 companies, and 85,000 visitors are expected this year,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, inaugurated the biggest ever biennial show, which will run from November 14 to 18 at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

> Expo 2020 Dubai – the world’s greatest show

The world’s greatest show has seen tremendous visitor numbers and economic success since it kicked off on October 1. Last week, Expo 2020 Dubai announced its latest visitor numbers, with an incredible 3,578,653 individual visits achieved by November’s halfway point, only six weeks into Expo’s six-month run.

Virtual visitation also rose to 15.7 million since October 1. The announcement comes after a packed weekend at the site, with stellar music, sport and cultural performances taking place.

• Expo 2020 Dubai: 3.5 million visits recorded up to mid-November

• Dubai: ‘Expo Live’ benefits 5.8 million people worldwide

• Expo, reforms to spur UAE rebound in 2020

Expo 2020 Dubai runs until March 31, 2022, inviting the world to join a celebration of unity, opportunity, creativity and sustainability that will help to shape a better, brighter future for everyone.

> Demand booms in the real estate sector

The Emirate’s primary real estate exhibition, Cityscape Global, witnessed immense participation from international investors, who have played a major role in boosting Dubai’s property market this year. It is said during the first nine months of the year, a total of 43,299 property sales transactions worth Dhs104.3bn were recorded in Dubai.

This takes the rate of doses to 217.73 per 100 people. According to Our World in Data, 98.9 per cent of the population have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 89.1 are fully vaccinated as of November 12. The numbers are among the highest in the world, resulting and robust social and economic recovery.