As Middle Eastern countries gradually re-open their economies, the Middle East/North Africa Leisure Attractions Council (MENALAC) is working on a set of recommended minimum standards for leisure attraction facilities to reach before re-opening.
With offices, business activities including shopping malls, retail outlets and cinema halls opening, the leisure operators are now ready with a new set of health and social distancing procedures, capacity management, adequate spacing on rides and theatre seating that will ensure safety of all customers.
MENALAC, the leisure and entertainment industry council representing the Middle East’s growing leisure attractions sector, has asked its Health and Safety Committee to draft a set of recommended minimum standards and procedures for its members before re-opening of these facilities.
“The Covid-19 crisis has changed the whole world and our industry is no exception. Consumers will have to continue social distancing in all public facilities till the situation improves,” Silvio Liedtke, Vice-President of MENALAC, says.
“As governments ease restrictions and enable our industry to get back on our feet, it becomes our collective responsibility to ensure that we all take adequate measures for a prolonged period of time so that we don’t need to go through a lockdown yet again.
“Our Health and Safety Committee is working on a recommended minimum standards and procedures programme for operations to follow. This will be shared with all the members in due course and will also be posted on our website for members to refer to.
“We urge members and operators to follow these recommended standards in conjunction with the standard that are specifically prescribed by authorities in your city/country of operation. In addition to this, there will be a wealth of other useful information that our committees have aggregated from the many sources worldwide. These will be also posted on our website for members as reference material for them to be informed and apply as they deem fit.
“Since our industry is part of the leisure entertainment attractions activities where people come to participate in amusement activities, we need to ensure that the health and safety aspects as well as minimum distance between participants are maintained.
“There will be new technology upgrades in facilities that include reduced human contacts across facilities, theatres, etc. to ensure that the customers face minimum touchpoints.”
MENALAC members have started investing in implementing in the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensures health and safety of employees, customers and all stakeholders, training of the staffs on the new requirements as well as regular cleaning, the availability of hand sanitisers, personal protective equipment (PPE) within facilities to ensure the customers remain healthy and free from virus infection while they avail amusement facilities.