Abu Dhabi: Residents will soon be able to enjoy a swim at the new corniche beach.
The new corniche beach with a spacious public park along the beach will open to the public on July 1, a senior official told Gulf News on Tuesday.
People can enjoy swimming in a two kilometre stretch of the beach during the daytime, said Abdul Aziz Al Jeraishi, Director of Parks and Recreational Facilities Division at Abu Dhabi Municipality.
He spoke to Gulf News on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Municipality strategic plan meeting. "People can swim up to 40 metres in the sea ... a floating fence is placed for the safety of swimmers," said Al Jeraishi.
Swimming will be prohibited during the night for security reasons and lifeguards will be on duty during the day only.
"The well-trained lifeguards will watch swimmers from seven towers", said Al Jeraishi. He said the municipality does not plan to impose any dress code for swimmers but people have to respect the local culture. The public park and beach will be open 24 hours with free entry, said the official.
The project cost Dh105 million and includes spacious green areas, a wooden path for walking, shaded areas, playgrounds for children and a beach volleyball court. It can accommodate about 5,000 people.
Law will ban smoking
A law banning smoking in public areas in Abu Dhabi will come into force soon, said a senior official. "The law is considered by the Executive Council and will be enacted soon," said Juma Al Junaibi, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi Municipality.
He was speaking to the media after announcing the strategic plan of the municipality yesterday.
Meanwhile Abu Dhabi Municipality has launched a Smoking Prevention and Regulation initiative in line with the Strategic Plan and Priorities and in a bid to elevate awareness of public health issues, said a statement issued by the municipality.
The purpose of this initiative is to ensure that the health of non-smokers is not compromised by secondary smoking in public areas.
The plan will designate special spaces in public areas for smokers which will be separate from non-smoking areas. It will be implemented as a collaborative effort between Abu Dhabi Municipality and areas deemed public.
Permits for smoking areas in these spaces will be issued once plans of the areas are submitted to the municipality.
