Cinemas and leisure facilities reopen in Dubai

Cinemas across Dubai reopened Wednesday, after being shut down as part of the government's efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.

It was part of a series of moves to ease the lockdown, and included the reopening of gyms and some sporting facilities.

At the Mall of the Emirates, customers lined up at a movie theatre with "social distancing ambassadors" urging them to maintain social distancing rules.

"You'll see that there's a lot of signage around our cinemas reminding people to obviously maintain healthy physical distancing from those around them, we have social distancing ambassadors who are also standing within the cinema," said Michelle Walsh from Vox Cinemas.

Walsh said cinemas are operating at a 30 percent occupancy level with empty chairs being left between moviegoers.

The cinemas are sanitised between each screening, and deep-cleaned every night.

A contactless system has been put in place that allows people to book tickets and buy snacks online.

"Within our cinema auditorium certain seats are blocked off, so you won't sit beside anybody that isn't within your group or your party, so that's obviously other occupancy measures that we put in place," Walsh said.

Meanwhile, skiers dotted the slopes at Ski Dubai, the iconic indoor ski hill at Mall of the Emirates, as it opened to the public once again.

The chairlift at the indoor ski hill began to run again, taking snowboarders to the summit.

"Actually, it's difficult staying at home after like being here almost every day throughout the year, and staying home for like two, three months that's really difficult. You know my bones are getting sore," says Ahmad Talal Ahmad holding his snowboard.

Restaurants at the mall kept a visible distance between tables and decreased the number of seats available.