Abu Dhabi: A Dh160 million modern slaughterhouse located in the capital’s Al Wathba suburb was inaugurated on Monday by the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City.
The slaughterhouse will operate from 10am to 4pm during Ramadan. Contractors have already been roped in to provide slaughtering procedures, operation, maintenance and cleaning services at the facility, the municipality announced in a statement.
In addition to the basic facilities, the Al Wathba Modern Slaughterhouse complex also contains 20 commercial outlets and two goat and camel markets with 48 barns.
“The slaughterhouse will process goats, sheep, camels and cows. The municipality is keen to provide the highest standards of health and safety, and the livestock markets have therefore been fitted with air-conditioning. Electronic cars also enable customers to transport animals to the slaughtering areas,” said Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Director of Public Health at the municipality.
Service rates at the new facility are on par with the ones at other slaughterhouses in the capital, the official added. These are set at Dh15 for a goat or sheep, cut into four pieces; Dh40 for a calf, chopped into six or eight pieces; and Dh60 for cows and camels, cut into eight pieces. According to the municipality, the Al Wathba slaughterhouse has also been recognised for its advanced equipment and modern livestock barns.
Four other similar facilities are operated by the municipality, including the Abu Dhabi Automated Slaughterhouse, Abu Dhabi Public Slaughterhouse, Shahama Slaughterhouse and Bani Yas Slaughterhouse.
“As part of the Public Health Division’s plan to convert all manual slaughterhouses into modern automated facilities, work is currently being undertaken at the Shahama facility. The building, construction and preparation works are being finalised at present, and the facility is expected to become operational in the second half of 2014,” Al Rumaithi said.
The number of livestock barns is also being increased at the Bani Yas Slaughterhouse to cater to the growing demand for barn rentals.
Earlier this month, the municipality also announced that it had undertaken a comprehensive check of all slaughterhouses to ensure that they were ready to cater to the expected surge in demand during Ramadan. A night shift at the Abu Dhabi Public Slaughterhouse and Bani Yas Slaughterhouse will also cater to customers between 10.30pm and 1.30am.
Al Rumaithi also urged residents to refrain from slaughtering animals outside designated facilities as the practice can pose a threat to public health and safety, especially if the animals are not first checked by qualified vets.