VIDEO: Public beaches and parks to reopen in Abu Dhabi on Friday

Following an extensive period of sterilization, the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has announced that from tomorrow, July 3, some public parks and beaches will open across the Emirate.

Entry to the facilities in Abu Dhabi City Municipality and Al Ain City Municipality, along with the Municipality of Al Dhafra Region, will be conditional on pre-booking through the SmartHub platform. Visitors must also update their health status on the ALHOSN app confirming they have tested negative for COVID-19.

This is in addition to undergoing a body temperature check when entering the facilities. All facilities will operate at 40 per cent occupancy.

The announcement follows the recent unveiling of DMT’s first-of-its-kind campaign – The Hygienic City with the slogan #itstartswithyou. The campaign reminds every resident that they have a vital role to play in preventing the virus from spreading and that wearing a face mask is a must.

The reopening of these public facilities is the first stage in the reopening of all DMT’s amenities and other reopenings will be announced at a later stage via all media outlets, including social media.

Rasha Kablawi, Head of Umm Al Emarat Park’s Corporate Affairs and Communications Department said: “As Abu Dhabi’s favorite green destination, we are so excited to reopen our doors and welcome back our wider community. We have been working tirelessly in preparation for the reopening as the safety and health of our visitors and employees remains our top priority. We are coordinating with the relevant government entities to ensure that the highest standards of safety and precautionary measures are met.”

Kablawi added: “We have a responsibility to support our community, and we will continuously do our best to put this into practice. Parks have proven themselves to be vital to health and well-being, particularly in urban environments, and even more so in times like these. We look forward to seeing families and friends come together again to learn, explore, have fun and dine.”

Thermal cameras will check people’s temperatures before using the facilities. Rules will be in place for groups, couples and individuals, including a maximum of four people per group

The following parks will open: Umm Al Emarat Park and Khalifa Park in Abu Dhabi, Al Sulaimi Park in Al Ain and Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra. Food and beverage outlets will operate at 30 per cent seating capacity, with a maximum of four people per table and a minimum of 2.5m between tables. Play areas will be closed and parking will be at 50 per cent capacity.

The following beaches will open: Hudayriat Beach and Corniche Beach in Abu Dhabi, and Al Mirfa Beach in Al Dhafra. Masks are required outside zones (No showers will available at beaches and beachgoers must wear masks and gloves.

Areas shall be marked out on the ground to ensure social distancing is maintained. Individual loungers will be spaced in rows at a minimum of 2.5m intervals and couples’ loungers will be placed in pairs with a minimum of 1m between at a minimum of 2.5m intervals.

Sterilization efforts have taken place across DMT’s three municipalities since the facilities were first closed in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Fines will be issued to those not adhering to the rules.