In the United Arab Emirates, general call for containment

Text by: Nicolas Keraudren

In the United Arab Emirates, about 250 Covid-19 positive cases have been detected by the authorities. Two deaths linked to the virus are also to be reported. In a country where more than 80% of the population is expatriated, all residents are called upon to stay at home. We spoke to these confined expatriates. But also with those who have no choice but to work.

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Since Monday, the emirate of Dubai has been idling. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities of the United Arab Emirates have indeed announced new measures aimed at limiting the displacement of the population. For example, all incoming and outgoing passenger flights and transits are suspended. In addition, the closure of shopping centers has been decided by the authorities. This measure also applies to restaurants and cafes that are no longer authorized to receive customers.

In the wake of these announcements, many establishments have therefore closed shop. To support the companies present in the monarchy, the authorities have already announced a plan to revive the economy. This amounts to a total of 126.5 billion dirhams, or just over 30 billion euros.

Some expatriates still on deck

In restaurants and cafes, delivery and take-out services are, however, maintained in accordance with government directives. Rheuvin, a 30-year-old Filipino restaurateur, is still working: “ I am afraid for my health and that of my staff. (…) Even if social distancing is respected, there is always a great risk for us to be in direct contact with other individuals when we go to work for example ”.

In short, no strict confinement planned for the moment in the Emirates. The sectors for which remote working is not possible - such as pharmacies, grocery stores or even construction sites - continue to function almost normally.

Stéphane (*), too, has no choice but to work. This Cameroonian national is a taxi driver in the emirate: “ My activity is getting worse and worse. Yesterday, for example, I had only 14 clients, while on average I turn around 30 a day. Today, I do not know if I will reach the 10 customers. Besides, I also worry about my health. I don't have a mask or gloves. I surrender to God ”.

These latest measures taken by the UAE authorities are added to the many others taken sooner. On March 16, the Ministry of Health had already announced the closure of all places of worship. A Ugandan nanny also entrusts us to participate in online offices now from her home.

General call for containment

This behavior is in accordance with official recommendations. Because the authorities indeed urge all residents to stay at home. On Twitter, a video has also gone viral. We see a Dubai police officer calling on a resident using his megaphone so that he returns to his home:

Video: @DubaiPoliceHQ urge residents to stay at home
Detailed report: https://t.co/owLaYk0wCm

45 new cases announced in UAE: https://t.co/oi8xh2evL7 pic.twitter.com/UijVAdLkhK

To facilitate the work of the authorities, many companies have already offered telework to their employees for several weeks. This is particularly the case for Andy, a Scottish commercial director who works in a technology company: “ I still work but from home now. We try to isolate ourselves as much as possible by only going to the shops to buy food. We also go out to exercise using our bikes (…). We plan to stay home as long as it takes to stay safe . ”

Navraj, another British national, was on a business trip to London before the spread of the virus got worse. In light of this situation, he made the choice to stay there: “ I have not returned to Dubai since the coronavirus. I hope to return soon as soon as it is possible and safe to do so . ”

Embassies participate in the national effort

In a country where the share of expatriates is estimated at more than 80% of the total population, the various embassies in the country also work for the national effort.
The French ambassador, Ludovic Pouille, calls for example to the common sense of French nationals who reside in the United Arab Emirates: “ We have 30,000 French residents in the Emirates who are calm. (…) I am particularly confident. The French community will be able to be responsible ”.

Same story at the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi: "Over 3.4 million Indian expatriates reside in the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the thousands of Indian visitors who frequent the country for tourism or business . All our nationals were strongly advised to stay in the UAE and to comply with government notices to combat and limit the spread of Covid-19. ”

For its part, the Embassy of Pakistan - another community that is widely represented in the Emirates - has posted on its website "guidelines for raising awareness of the coronavirus".

Punitive measures for non-compliance with the rules

Because in case of non-compliance with the rules put in place by the UAE authorities, the sanctions could fall. For example, on March 24, Dubai police said they had arrested a young European citizen " showing indifference " in a video posted on social media regarding the authorities' instructions. Earlier in the week, another European also faced the same fate. He had posted on social networks a video in which he " made fun of the precautionary measures issued by the health authorities ".

(*) This name has been changed

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• United Arab Emirates
• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine