Abu Dhabi: Hundreds of grocery stores in Abu Dhabi, which closed down on the eve of the New Year for failing to meet a deadline for their renovation, have started reopening, as advised by the authorities.
Many small stores in the city that were supposed to closedown permanently for want of space to meet the new standards were seen reopened yesterday. The owners of many small stores told Gulf News yesterday that authorities told them they could operate until getting a further notice for permanent closure.
Many other closed stores that are waiting for the contractors to start their renovation works have also started reopening. Those store owners said contractors being very busy with too many works; they have to wait one to three months to start the renovation works. “When we approached the authorities they said we could reopen and close only during the renovation works,” said a grocer off Electra Street.
Many among the 1,300 grocery stores and small supermarkets closed down from January 1 for failing to renovate the stores as per the new food safety and hygiene standards announced by Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) in May 2011. Although the authority granted one year —throughout 2012 — to complete the renovation, a small number of stores did and others closed down. The authority had warned in November that those who fail to renovate by December 31 would not be allowed to operate afterwards. Although most of the store owners were waiting and watching, expecting an extension to the deadline, the authority did not reveal their further plans until most of the stores closed down on the eve of the New Year.
The authority did not comment yesterday about the reopening of the closed stores. But a statement issued by the authority on Sunday said the groceries that closed down their shutters did so on their own. The closure of groceries that are non-compliant will happen in a gradual manner and as per a plan put in place by the governmental committee overseeing the project. “We do not want any inconvenience to the consumers. We will try our best to make sure that the consumers will not find themselves all of a sudden without the services they are used to,” the statement had said.
Residents welcome move
Residents welcomed the move by the authority to permit reopening the closed stores. “Life was a hell during the past nine days in this area,” K. Koyamu, an Indian typist working at a typing centre off Electra Street, said yesterday. “We had to make long walk to supermarkets to get a bottle of water or a telephone card. Otherwise the grocery stores used to deliver everything at our shop. Anyway it’s nice that the two groceries in the vicinity have reopened,” Koyamu explained.
The reopened grocers said they lost thousands of dirhams during the closure for more than a week. “Before closing down I sold out many remaining items at throwaway prices. I arranged everything again by Wednesdays evening and reopened yesterday (Thursday),” said a grocer in Khalidiya area, who did not want to be named.
Although it was not clear how many stores have been reopened, it is thought that
about 40 to 50 per cent of 1300 groceries face permanent
closure for want of space to renovate as per the new standards.
