DUBAI: Dubai restaurants have begun offering discounts to customers who have been inoculated against coronavirus, amid a vaccination drive as the emirate seeks to fight the pandemic without closing its doors.

The United Arab Emirates says it has already vaccinated some 2.5 million of its population of about 10 million, the second highest rate globally after Israel.

“Spread love, not Rona,” say social media fliers for three restaurants run by Gates Hospitality, offerings a 10 percent discount to residents who have taken the first dose of a vaccine and 20 percent for those who have taken two. Diners must show proof of inoculation, such as a medical certificate, to get the discount. While some people welcomed the move, it raised eyebrows on social media.

“There’s two ways to look at it, either it’s another marketing stunt, or a genuine motivation to get more people vaccinated,” said one tweet.

The UAE, made up of seven emirates including Dubai, began mass inoculations in December after approving vaccines made by Chinese firm Sinopharm and US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.