DUBAI: Dubai has begun the mass vaccination of public transport workers, with the Gulf emirate aiming to remain open to international tourism despite a surge in cases.

The United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai and six other emirates and has a population of nearly 10 million, has administered 4.4 million doses — one of the best vaccination rates per capita in the world, and second to Israel.

The UAE has recorded 930 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began.

Dubai gained recent attention after it sought to manage the pandemic without closing its doors, with its economic mainstay industry of tourism battered badly during the pandemic.