Dubai: The Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) master-development is to have a centralised security system from May onwards and overriding any arrangements that individual high-rises and their homeowner associations may have.

“Individual towers will be notified a month in advance ... The security services will be managed by DMCC Group Security”, says a statement issued by DMCC Group Security to homeowner associations and other stakeholders. DMCC Group Security, incidentally, is part of DMCC, which is the government-owned entity which owns JLT. A shortlist of security services firms will now be approved by DMCC Group Security.

“The management system initiative has been authorised and approved by Real Estate Regulatory Agency [Rera]”, the statement added.

JLT and the properties within operate under a free zone status.

Ever since the management of the individual high-rises was given over to the homeowner associations, provision of security too formed part of their remit. The associations would decide, which security firm would be given the contract to manage the services, and also the say in the pricing the security firms could charge.

“We have just received the mail (dated April 1) from DMCC; we are still awaiting clarity on what this means for the existing arrangements we have at our tower,” said a member of an association representing the owners of one of the high-rises. “The important question is whether the new system will mean an increase in the cost base or not.”

It is learnt that some of the owner associations are thinking of approaching Rera for their take on the issue.

But, there is another letter sent out by a Rera official, which gives approval to the DMCC plan. “We have no objection to DMCC requesting all developers, sub-developers and various owner associations that operate within the free zone [JLT] to cooperate and comply with all regulations issued by DMCC Group Security”, the mail from Rera states.

According to DMCC Group Security, the rationale for changing the regime is that it “allows greater efficiency, coordination and communication and will be of great benefit to the 80,000 people working and living in the DMCC Free Zone”.

It added that during the initial launch phase, each JLT tower will receive the same number of “security personnel as previously hired until an assessment is conducted to determine the needs of each tower”.

“The new approach will be adopted by most free zones in Dubai”, it added.