Pictures From Dubai Show How Coronavirus Has Turned Life Upside-Down In City Of Skyscrapers

A view shows the Dubai mall almost empty of customers, as a precaution amid the outbreak of coronavirus.

The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday, that it was shutting major tourism and cultural venues to contain the spread of coronavirus and announced a $27-billion plan to counter the outbreak’s economic impact.

No shisha pipe sessions, deserted streets, mosques and shopping malls; drones in the sky broadcasting public health warnings.

The UAE - which has reported 85 coronavirus infections but no deaths - and other Gulf Arab states are intensifying measures to halt the virus as the number of cases rise. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have taken the most drastic steps, cancelling all international flights.??

Global Village virtually empty, amid coronavirus spread in Dubai.

A parking lot attendant walks through a typically full but now empty, parking lot, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dubai, the UAE’s regional business and transit hub, said it was cancelling all events planned in March and asked hotels to stop hosting wedding celebrations. Some shops have voluntarily closed to boost containment efforts.

In the capital, Abu Dhabi, cinemas, arcades and entertainment venues have been shuttered, state news agency WAM reported.??