As much of the world tightens lockdowns to stem coronavirus, Dubai has flung its doors open.
While mask-wearing and social distancing are strictly enforced, life in the emirate looks much like normal, with its restaurants, hotels and mega-malls open for business.
Russian tourist, Dmitriy Melnikov, said he came to Dubai because his choices were otherwise limited, with many destinations in partial or full lockdown.
"I am not scared," the 30-year-old told AFP. "If you look at people here, everyone has a mask, and I think it's cool."
With a negative PCR test in their home countries -- and possibly another upon arrival, depending on the place of departure -- tourists can freely enter Dubai, where winter temperatures average a pleasant 25 degrees Celsius.
Abu Dhabi has taken a much more conservative approach, generally requiring quarantine on arrival.
In the Al Fahidi historical neighborhood in Dubai, mask-clad tourists walk through alleyways, taking pictures of the recreation of life a century ago.
Hand sanitizers and floor stickers warning people to maintain their distance are everywhere, while most restaurants have replaced their menus with digital QR barcodes, that can be displayed on a smartphone.
"Before the coronavirus, tour groups were up to 100 or 250 visitors with each tour guide, but now things are different, only 20 visitors maximum for each tour guide," said the district's director Nasser Juma bin Sulaiman.
Andi Pitman, from the US state of Alabama, said it was her first trip abroad since the start of the pandemic.
"We are very excited to be here and a little nervous, but happy to be out again," she told AFP, strolling through Al-Fahidi with her husband and two children.
"None of us have had the vaccine yet, but we have small kids that need to be out and need to see the world, so we're willing to take the risk."
Sophia Amouch, from France, said she was not too concerned about the rise in cases in the UAE.
"Everything is run better here," the 25-year-old told AFP, adding that she felt "safer in Dubai, where everyone abides by all the measures."
Tourism has long been an economic mainstay of Dubai, which welcomed more than 16 million visitors in 2019.
