Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was briefed on a number of projects being undertaken by Dubai Municipality, estimated to cost more than Dh20 billion.
Shaikh Mohammad was briefed on various development, service and beautification projects during a visit to the municipality, in the presence of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, and Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
Shaikh Mohammad listened to a briefing on key municipality projects by Engineer Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality. The projects aim to provide a good life for citizens and residents, and quality services and smart services to the public in all areas of the emirate.
The most prominent project carried out by the municipality is the fully sustainable and self-sufficient smart housing project for Emiratis located near Al Aweer roundabout, and will provide 20,000 plots for Emiratis. The project, spanning an area of 14,000 hectares, will be built in the shape of a desert flower and will provide 200 megawatts of electricity through solar energy as the roofs of the homes and buildings will be covered with solar panels. In line with the directives of Shaikh Mohammad, work on the project will commence immediately and is expected to be completed in 2020.
Shaikh Mohammad was then briefed on the boat market project by Engineer Mohammad Al Mashroom from the municipality’s Engineering and Planning Department. The project, which will be located in Al Barsha South 1, is the first of its kind in the region, and will aim to become a destination for water sport enthusiasts. The market’s objective is to transform Dubai into a global destination for the sale and manufacture of boats and fishing equipment, and attract investments in the boating and industry sector.
The project will span an area of 35 hectares, including a 10 hectare manmade lake for boats.
Shaikh Mohammad then listened to an explanation by Engineer Khalid Sharif on the registration of Dubai’s food imports, which amount to 10 million tonnes a day, which comprise 70 per cent of the UAE’s total imports. Sharif pointed out that almost 324,000 different food items are registered electronically in Dubai.
Shaikh Mohammad then watched a presentation on the palm park project by Engineer Fatima Al Muhairi. The presentation offered a summary on the project’s goals, which is to contain more than 150 types of palm trees grown in the UAE.
The park will include a plaza for various activities, a lake, seating areas for families and playgrounds for children. Fatima explained that the project aims to be an investment, educational, cultural and heritage project from which the current UAE generation can learn about the nation’s heritage and culture.
Shaikh Mohammad expressed his satisfaction with the projects and gave the green light for their implementation, and said that a suitable location must be chosen for the boat market. He praised the exemplary efforts of the municipality teams to make Dubai a smart and sustainable city,
Shaikh Mohammad also met a delegation of ambassadors and representatives of member countries of the Unesco World Heritage Committee.
Shaikh Mohammad met the delegation on the sidelines of his visit to Dubai Municipality.
The delegates are on a visit to the UAE to acquaint themselves with Dubai Creek, which is registered in the World Heritage list.
Shaikh Mohammad welcomed the international delegation and expressed his appreciation of their efforts.