Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi is fully geared up for the upcoming Eid Al Adha celebrations, with the authorities having completed all preparations to ensure the safety and convenience of residents.
Abu Dhabi Police are ready to keep residents safe on the roads and near public facilities, while Abu Dhabi Municipality has finished all preparatory procedures at its abattoirs. In addition, waste disposal and clean-up services have been ramped up by the Centre of Waste Management — Tadweer in anticipation of the increased use of public services and amenities.
Eid Al Adha holidays in the UAE will begin on Friday, June 8, which will coincide with Day of Arafah on the Islamic calendar. Eid Al Adha will be celebrated in the UAE from Saturday, July 9, and continue until Monday, July 11.
Safety and security
Abu Dhabi Police said in a statement today that it was implementing an integrated security system to enhance safety and provide support, wherever necessary. Patrols will be increased across all streets and traffic inspection points and deployed in greater numbers around commercial centres, malls, parks and other strategic locations, in order to control the increased traffic flow over the holidays.
Police, meanwhile, have urged parents not to let children play unsupervised near the street and also called on young motorists to drive carefully, especially near residential areas. Reckless road stunts and racing must be avoided completely in order to protect the safety of all individuals and avoid accidents during the celebratory period, police added.
Slaughterhouse readiness
Meanwhile, three public slaughterhouses in Abu Dhabi city — at Bani Yas, Al Wathba, and Al Shahama — are ready to greet customers for Eid Al Adha. The abattoirs will open after Eid prayers and continue serving customers until 7pm every day, with qualified butchers and veterinarians ensuring the safety of the slaughtering processes and the meat. The processed meat will be conveniently delivered to customers in their cars.
Smart services
The automated slaughterhouse in Mina Zayed is, however, closed this Eid. So, Abu Dhabi City Municipality has urged residents to place their slaughter requests through smartphone apps. This will ensure that processed meat is delivered to customers’ residences and also reduce the risks associated with crowding in public facilities.
Residents can place their orders through dedicated Uduhiya apps, including Zabehaty, Dhabayeh UAE, and Halal. Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) also allows residents to place slaughtering requests on its EmiratesRC app, with the meat to be delivered in the UAE and abroad. ERC had earlier said that about 100,000 individuals are expected to benefit from its services this year within the UAE alone.
Mitigating disease risk
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Food Safety and Agriculture Authority (Adafsa) has reiterated that residents should stick to designated abattoirs for the ritual slaughter. Relying on travelling butchers or carrying out the slaughter at one’s property can increase the risk of transmission of animal-to-human or human-to-animal diseases, it warned.
Hygiene and sanitation
Public hygiene is also an essential element of safety and Tadweer has enhanced its collection and transport services for municipal and solid waste. The authority will also ensure the cleanliness of public facilities, including roads, Eid prayer venues, slaughterhouses, bridges, marketplaces, mosques and pedestrian tunnels, with concentrated daily cleaning campaigns in these areas.
A total of 248 additional cleaners have been deployed to carry out the cleaning services and 260 additional waste containers have been set out. Tadweer has also ensured the readiness of extra cleaning vehicles and equipment in order to meet its targets for the Eid holidays.
Pest control
In addition, Tadweer is currently carrying out intensive pest control across the emirate. These pest control activities, run by 1,354 workers, cover a total of 1,091 mosques, 20 abattoirs, 90 parks, 247 residential neighbourhoods and a number of marketplaces.
The authority will also ensure the availability of emergency response teams over the Eid break, it assured.
