Dubai: Dubai Municipality has stepped up inspections of sweet shops, restaurants and other establishments ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid Al Fitr that is expected to fall on Friday or Saturday, depending on the sighting of the next crescent moon.
The civic body has also completed preparations for maintaining the cleanliness of public facilities and roads as the festival nears. The municipality has also identified key facilities and parks where entertainment events and shows will be held.
Food safety
In preparation for the Eid holidays, Dubai Municipality has launched various campaigns to guarantee that food establishments comply with regulations for transporting, storing, preparing, and exhibiting food products and materials. The food inspection teams conducted inspections on food establishments, hypermarkets, sweet shops, chocolate shops, and stores selling popular and Arabic sweets, following the increased demand for these items during Eid.
The objective was to enforce best practices that prevent contamination of the products, particularly cross-contamination resulting from improper separation of raw meat from cooked or ready-to-eat food. Additionally, the teams monitored the degree to which food establishment workers adhered to strict standards of personal hygiene to safeguard the overall health of consumers.
Dubai Municipality teams will continue to inspect sales outlets, consumer complexes and hypermarkets, the Central Fruits and Vegetables Market, and the Waterfront Market to ensure the safety of fresh food products.
The Municipality has set operating hours for its abattoirs from 7am to 2pm during Eid holidays. Furthermore, the Municipality also conducted awareness campaigns to educate community members about the dangers of slaughtering animals outside the designated abattoirs and emphasised the importance of avoiding unauthorised butchers due to the potential risks they pose to public health and the environment.
City cleanliness
Dubai Municipality has implemented comprehensive programmes and technical and field work plans to enhance public hygiene and community services related to sustainable waste management during Eid Al-Fitr. These measures ensure the delivery of logistics services and the use of effective waste storage methods. Additionally, the Municipality has increased its efforts in transporting and unloading waste containers to manage waste operations and provide integrated and efficient municipal services that maintain the safety and cleanliness of the city.
As part of its procedures to enhance the cleanliness of public facilities, Dubai Municipality teams carried out cleaning operations for all 10 Eid Musallas (prayer grounds) in the emirate and distributed 45 waste storage facilities and additional waste baskets near mosques and Eid event venues to cover emergency cases and the most crowded areas.
The Municipality has assigned about 2,250 cleaners, including 426 workers from the private sector, over 250 supervisory and monitoring employees, 747 equipment and vehicles. This includes 307 heavy vehicles, 214 light vehicles, 120 rental vehicles as well as 76 heavy equipment attached to cleaning boats, and 30 light equipment. They will be available around the clock to execute routine field programs and provide support and emergency services.
It also assigned a team to ensure the cleanliness of the beaches of the emirate of Dubai, consisting of 73 cleaners, who will work round-the-clock in three shifts to ensure the cleanliness of 22km of public beaches. Additionally, a specialised team equipped with the latest boats and equipment has been formed to monitor the cleanliness of Dubai Creek and water channels. Furthermore, a workforce of 57 cleaners and 5 supervisors has been set up for the initial days of Eid Al Fitr. They will cover a total of 2,300km of major highways.
Dubai Parks
During the Eid Al Fitr holidays, Dubai Municipality has fixed the operating hours for parks and recreational facilities across the emirate. Dubai Safari Park will operate between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM, while the mountain bike track in Mushrif National Park will be open from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
Creek Park, Mamzar Park, Zabeel Park, Safa Park, and Mushrif National Park will be open between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM, and the Quranic Park will operate from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Dubai Frame will be open from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, while the Children’s City will operate from Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
Live shows
Dubai Municipality has designated three public and recreational facilities in Dubai that will host live entertainment activities and shows during Eid Al Fitr. Dubai Frame will host performances from 4 to 6:30 PM on the first and second days of Eid, while Dubai Safari Park will feature live shows in the African Village at 11:00 AM, the Explorer’s Village at 12:30 PM, the Asian Village at 2:30 PM, and the main exit at 3:30 PM.
The Children’s City will also organise entertainment shows for children on the first, second, and third days of Eid between 4:00 and 7:30 PM, in addition to various educational workshops between 12:00 noon and 6:00 PM.
