UAE boosts flood readiness on roads with 17 pumping stations, 800 culverts ahead of rains

Dubai: The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure continues its proactive preparations for the rainy season by enhancing the readiness of federal roads and associated facilities, conducting preventive inspections and maintenance of stormwater drainage networks, pumping stations, and culverts, and strengthening monitoring and field response capabilities.

The efforts aim to ensure road user safety and maintain service continuity under various weather conditions.

As part of its preparations, the Ministry is inspecting and maintaining stormwater drainage networks, clearing waterways where wadis intersect with federal roads, and ensuring the efficiency and operational readiness of 17 pumping stations and 800 stormwater drainage culverts.

It is also deploying specialised field teams and providing the necessary equipment and machinery to address water accumulation and various weather conditions, enabling faster response times, safer roads, and uninterrupted traffic flow.

The Ministry continues to carry out preventive inspections and maintenance, including assessing structural conditions, removing sediment, and ensuring the operational readiness of discharge gates, waterways, and monitoring systems. These measures strengthen the infrastructure's capacity to accommodate rainwater flows and mitigate the risks of flash floods and flooding.

It operates a smart, around-the-clock monitoring system for dams and wadis, equipped with surveillance cameras and sensors that measure water levels and flow rates. The system includes an early flood warning mechanism connected to the control centre and relevant national authorities, helping anticipate potential risks, issue alerts, and support proactive measures to protect lives and property.

In addition, the Ministry continues to coordinate with its federal and local partners to strengthen joint preparedness, review emergency plans, and enhance field response procedures. This collaboration ensures the rapid exchange of information, coordinated responsibilities, and effective management of various rainfall scenarios, while minimising their impact on lives, property, and infrastructure.

The Ministry continuously monitors the federal road network through its control centre, which provides real-time oversight of road conditions and field developments.

The centre supports timely decision-making and the deployment of emergency and maintenance teams to affected locations in coordination with relevant authorities. This enables a rapid response to rainwater accumulation, minimises traffic disruptions, and enhances road user safety and service continuity.

Eng. Mohammed Al Mansoori, Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said that protecting lives and property and ensuring the continuity of essential services are key priorities in the Ministry's plans. He noted that preparations for the rainy season begin well in advance, with assessments of federal roads, dams, and water infrastructure, the identification of priority locations, and enhanced field team capabilities to respond effectively to various weather conditions.

He said, "We follow a proactive approach focused on enhancing infrastructure readiness and strengthening its resilience to changing weather conditions, with particular emphasis on rapid response and minimising the impact of rainfall on traffic flow. We are committed to developing an integrated operational system that combines preventive maintenance, continuous monitoring, and coordinated field response to ensure road user safety and service continuity."

Al Mansoori added, "Our investments in infrastructure development go beyond improving operational efficiency. They also focus on strengthening resilience and adaptability to different climatic conditions, ensuring that our infrastructure meets future development needs while maintaining the quality of services provided to the community."