Since becoming one of the world's first destinations to open up for tourism, Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, has promoted itself as the ideal pandemic vacation spot. It cannot afford otherwise, analysts say, as the coronavirus shakes the foundations of the city-state's economy.
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Now the reality is catching up to the big-dreaming emirate. With peak tourism season in full swing, coronavirus infections are surging to unprecedented heights. Daily case counts have nearly tripled in the past month, forcing Britain to slam shut its travel corridor with Dubai last week. But in the face of a growing economic crisis, the city won't impose a lockdown.
"Dubai's economy is a house of cards," said Matthew Page, a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Its competitive advantage is being a place where rules don't apply."
Amid an aggressive testing campaign, the country has reported more than 256,000 cases and 751 deaths.
