DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates will start providing a booster shot against COVID-19 to all fully vaccinated individuals in the Gulf Arab state, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said on Tuesday.

It said on Twitter the booster shot would be available to people considered at high risk three months after their second vaccine dose, and six months for others.

The Gulf state, which has approved five types of COVID-19 vaccines, had in June begun providing booster shots to those initially immunised with a vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm).

The regional tourism and business hub has among the world's highest immunisation rates. Around 79% of the population of roughly 9 million had received one vaccine dose, while some 70% had been fully vaccinated, according to latest official data.

(Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous Editing by Mark Potter) ((ghaida.ghantous@thomsonreuters.com;))