UAE | General
Al Aweer businessmen face uncertain future
Hundreds of people in Al Aweer fear losing their livelihoods as they have been asked to vacate their businesses by the end of this month.
- By Anjana Sankar, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:35 November 20, 2008
- Al Aweer businessmen say that about half of their work is done on credit and that they will never be paid for repairs already undertaken if they are forced to close their businesses.
- Image Credit: Anjana Sankar/Gulf News
Dubai: Hundreds of people in Al Aweer fear losing their livelihoods as they have been asked to vacate their businesses by the end of this month.
The businessmen faced with eviction told Gulf News that they were in despair as they had not been offered any alternative premises by Wasl, the asset management group owned by Dubai Real Estate Corporation.
An estimated 15,000 warehouses and 20,000 shops - most of which perform automobile repairs - are earmarked for demolition on the main Ras Al Khor Road to make way for the Meydan development project. Approximately 10,000 apartments housing the workers and their families will also be torn down.
The Wasl tenants, who face eviction by November 30, said they have been shunted from pillar to post in their attempts to locate alternative land.
"We were told that we would be given land in Al Khwaneej as compensation, but now the authorities are merely shifting responsibility from one department to another. It is a matter of our livelihood and we do not know where to go with our employees and our materials worth millions of dirhams," said Arafat Hussain, who runs an auto spare parts shop.
He added that the desperate search for premises in other areas had yielded no results as rents are excessively high.
Mohammad Yousuf Abdul Aziz from Pakistan who has been running a business for 30 years said he had no choice but to pack up and leave for good.
"I have my entire family living here with me. Where can I find accommodation for all of them in Dubai? I have lived and worked here for 30 years. Now I will also have to retrench my employees," a vexed Yousuf said.
Nazakat Nawaz, another tenant whose business was established in 1984 said he had been rudely treated by Wasl officials, who asked him to just leave and expect no compensation, either monetary or otherwise.
Rashmikanth Shetty, Manager of Bin Dasmal Auto Spare Parts said 50 per cent of the business in the area was done on a credit basis. If the businesses closed down, the accounts would never be settled, he said.
"All the shops here have thousands of files of regular customers who get work done on credit. We are going to lose both the customers and the cash," Shetty said.
5,000 cars repaired daily
According to the businessmen, more than 5,000 cars undergo repairs in the area on a daily basis.
In response to the complaints, Meydan Project Manager Mohammad Al Hathboor said they had worked out an eviction and compensation plan in close coordination with Wasl and the Dubai Municipality. Eviction notices were issued in June 2007, he said.
"As per the agreement, those who own land on which buildings have been marked for demolition have been informed of their compensation. This is either monetary or replacement land in Al Khwaneej.
"There is another category of people who have rented the land or buildings from Wasl. Those who rented land from Wasl and built shops have also been well compensated after evaluating the value of the buildings in question - bearing in mind that they do not own the land - plus adequate income compensation," Mohammad said.
"And those who are facing problems are the ones who have rented out the shops. It is now Wasl's call as to how it will settle the issue with its tenants," he said.
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