Saturday, Apr 29, 2017

Dubai: Work on ensuring backup power at all major public buildings and commercial centres in Dubai has gathered pace following a major power failure in The Dubai Mall last week.

On Saturday, a committee, headed by Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), has been set up to oversee the provision of backup power generators at all existing and upcoming mega projects.

The move comes after His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, gave orders that require real estate developers, companies and other relevant stakeholders to install backup power generators at major projects in Dubai to ensure there is no repeat of The Dubai Mall debacle.

The Dubai Mall plunged into darkness in the evening of April 24, following a nearly two-hour power outage, the first to hit the world’s largest shopping centre since it opened in 2008, prompting its 1,000-odd commercial outlets to shut their doors.

The blackout saw the mall activities coming to a halt with all escalators, elevators and other electric machinery rendered useless initially.

The incident prompted the authorities to work on systems that will ensure availability of backup during emergencies.

Following Shaikh Mohammad’s instructions, Dewa has sent a circular requiring the installation of power generators in major buildings and landmarks such as tourist, commercial and cultural destinations in Dubai.

This is to ensure that they will have the necessary power in emergencies for public security and safety reasons, while also ensuring the comfort and well-being of the public at large.

The circular states that the capacity of the generators should be sufficient to cover lighting, elevators, escalators, automatic doors, surveillance cameras, alarm systems and fire and safety equipment.

These generators must be properly maintained to ensure that they will work efficiently when needed, according to best safety practices.

“We value the decision made by Shaikh Mohammad to require real estate developers and companies to install backup generators at major projects in Dubai. This important decision will benefit all stakeholders, as it will help avoid electricity interruptions that might occur due to any malfunctions in major developments and tourist, commercial, and cultural buildings, ensuring that work is not interrupted at these buildings,” Al Tayer said.

By Shafaat Shahbandari Staff Reporter

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