International City: ‘Flawed’ security sparks safety fears

Dubai: Residents without access cards have found ingenious ways to enter buildings at International City, highlighting its “flawed” security.

Since last month, unidentified residents have been tampering with the electromagnetic locks and putting rocks, bottles, plastic cups, chairs and crumpled paper between the main entrance doors to keep them open.

Building access has been limited to tenants using access cards in the 800-hectare freehold community since October. The move was implemented in stages “in the interests of upholding the property value of individual units and enhancing security and safety of the community,” according to notices posted in the area. But residents said the new security feature has become a nuisance, especially for the buildings’ watchmen.

Gulf News spotted K.B., a watchman in the Spain Cluster, removing stickers and papers from the electromagnetic lock of the main entrance door.

He said residents use various things to tamper with the lock to keep the door ajar or call him to let them in, even at 3am.

“Since this system’s activation, I have not been able to sleep properly,” he said. “I’m now thinking of switching jobs because this has become too much of a headache.”

Rashid, another watchman, said that around 40 per cent of the tenants in his building do not have access cards for various reasons, mainly because of absentee owners. Tenants are not given access cards and are left to suffer if their flats’ owners have pending dues with developer, Nakheel.

Nakheel issues only two access cards to a studio, three to a one-bedroom and four to a two-bedroom apartment.

Dinah Dacasin, who lives in a building in the China Cluster, said the system is not 100 per cent effective because anyone can just enter the building by waiting for tenants with access cards.

“Unless they assign 24-hour security detail and strictly implement the system, it’s not going to be 100 per cent safe,” she said.

A homeowner from the Morocco Cluster said tenants in an overcrowded flat in her building call their flatmates to open the door for them every day, which defeats the purpose of the new system.

“The security feature is a good concept because it could deter subletting but the system is flawed,” the homeowner, who refused to be identified, told Gulf News.

According to Trakhees, the regulatory agency that supervises freehold properties like International City, only one person per 200 square feet is allowed to occupy an apartment — or a maximum of three tenants per studio, five per one-bedroom flat and seven in a two-bedroom apartment.

Trakhees has penalised a total of 1,310 violators for overcrowding in International City since 2010. Fines between Dh1,000 and Dh50,000 are addressed to the landlord, while a copy of the fine is issued to tenants.

When asked how Nakheel plans to address the issue, a spokesperson told Gulf News in a statement: “We take very seriously any cases of abuse of our security systems, and will act accordingly if any violation is observed or reported to us. Our security measures at International City include CCTV systems, onsite watchmen and roving security guards, who are authorised to react to such situations.”

— With inputs from Faisal Masudi, Staff Reporter