Event will now be held in November instead of this month, say organisers
The Dubai International Boat Show, an annual trade event for yachting enthusiasts, has become the latest big-ticket event to be affected by the mounting coronavirus fears.
Organisers confirmed on Monday that the show, originally scheduled on March 10-14, has been moved to November 24-28, coinciding with this year’s most highly anticipated global event, Expo Dubai 2020.
The decision was taken after some of the key participants confirmed they are unable to fly to the UAE due to travel restrictions related to the outbreak.
“Whilst the UAE remains completely safe for travel, and has deployed the strictest medical and hygiene protocols, we fully recognise that for some specific shows, we have a high majority of key participants significant to the event’s programme that are unable to travel due to restrictions int their home country,” the event organisers said in a statement.
“Our decision comes after much deliberation in consultation with the event’s main participants and industry stakeholders, who have strongly endorsed our prioritisation of the collective interests of both the global exhibitors and the key buyers from the region,” it added.
Several public events have been called off recently in light of the outbreak, the most recent one being the UAE Tour. The final two stages of the cycling event in Abu Dhabi was cancelled after two ‘suspected’ cases of coronavirus.
In Dubai, private schools have been advised to cancel all gatherings, trips and festivals to stop the virus from spreading. Saudi Arabia, for its part, has also temporarily banned the entry of religious pilgrims.
The number of people affected by coronavirus is rising in the Middle East. Iran has confirmed nearly 1,000 cases and 54 deaths, while Kuwait reported 10 more infected people, bringing the total to 56. The UAE has reported 21 cases, while Bahrain has 47, Oman and Qatar have reported six and three cases, respectively.
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