Dubai will allow the full reopening of malls and private businesses starting on Wednesday, its media office said, in the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions, the emirate's media office announced.
"Shopping malls and private sector businesses in the emirate will fully operate at 100 percent from tomorrow, Wednesday," the Dubai Media Office tweeted on Tuesday.
"The move aims to ensure the private sector is able to resume normal activity without compromising on preventive steps to protect people's health and safety," it added.
Preventative measures include wearing face masks, maintaining a minimum distance of two meters (around 6 feet) between individuals, and the regular use of hand sanitizer, the statement added.
The step makes the city-state the first in the Middle East to drop nearly all restrictions to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus that hit retailers and leisure activities.
Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, had already shortened a nighttime curfew to just seven hours starting from 11 pm.
Businesses in the private sector had been allowed since last week to work at 50 percent capacity, but the authorities now say they can "fully operate".
Dubai’s neighbor Abu Dhabi, the UAE's capital, cordoned off the city and banned travel between regions in the emirate for a week starting Tuesday.
The UAE has so far recorded more than 35,000 cases of the COVID-19 respiratory disease, including 269 deaths.