Photos: Dubai's yachts offer socially distanced luxury

Luxury yachts are moored at the Dubai Marina Beach. A new mode of travel has become popular, yachts. Charter companies said they had seen an increased interest in yachting after coronavirus measures eased, especially among those who want to spend time with friends and family.

"It's more private, you're with only family and friends, and it's the ideal outing during a pandemic," said Nada Naeem, a 36-year-old Saudi citizen living in Dubai.

Dozens of white yachts are seen every day zipping through the bays, canals and islands, while others are docked along the coast in Gulf waters overlooking the skyline of high-rise towers.

"You feel like you can breathe," Naeem said, adding that she had not left Dubai since the pandemic began last year. "It's like you've travelled." Unlike so many parts of the world, Dubai opened its doors wide open to tourists just a few months after the coronavirus pandemic took hold last year.

Life in Dubai- one of the first destinations to welcome visitors again last July - returned to largely expected, with restaurants and hotels up and running and beaches open to the public.

View on Dubai Marina skyscrapers and the most luxury superyacht marina. Tourism, which drew some 16 million visitors a year before the coronavirus hit, took a severe downturn in the first few months of the pandemic.

But a flood of arrivals since the beginning of the year has regenerated the industry, and helped many business activities recover. Other yacht charter companies report an increase in demand for rentals in recent months.

The UAE launched an energetic vaccination drive with some of the highest inoculation rates worldwide and enforced strict rules on wearing masks and social distancing.

"People want to do sightseeing, cruising," said Sayyed, who has been in the yacht industry for eight years. "They want to relax." Cheaper yachts to hire include the company's 90-foot "Big Daddy" - capable of normally carrying 65 people, at $1,225 for three hours - down to smaller boats.