Bachir Moukarzel

COVID-19 has changed everything. From the way we work to the way we live, staying at home has become the norm in most countries around the world. Some countries have even imposed city-wide lockdowns in efforts to contain the situation. One of these cities is Dubai, which has recently announced strict new measures that residents must adhere to. The around-the-clock lockdown restricts residents from leaving their homes unless for absolutely essential trips. With Dubai on lockdown, two guys have found a creative way to share the tough times with the world.

Photographer Highsam Achkar, along with Bachir Moukarzel, a Lebanese-born and multi award-winning drone pilot has captured Dubai in a way the world has never seen before.

How did they manage to pull it off? Bachir pitched the project to the Dubai Media Office and it took a week for the two to film the incredible footage between the hours of 11:00pm until 6:00am with the cooperation of Dubai Police.

“Never in my life would we have ever thought to see the Sheikh Zayed road with no cars, Dubai Mall with no people, roads empty, and attractions free of tourists” says Highsam.

“But it is also great to see everyone committed to staying home, for the sake of everyone we love. It is just a matter of time and Dubai will be back to normal, the whole world will be back to normal” he says.

The two-minute video of Dubai on lockdown features a melancholy piano melody accompanied by tremolo cello which perfectly illustrates the UAE hub on hiatus during the current period with the hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Bachir adds, “The intention is the show that everyone is working together by following the government instructions, and this will lead us to control the virus situation and reduce the cases hopefully”.

Let us know what you think of the video in the comments below!

All photos via Bachir Moukarzel