Newly developed areas to get slew of community facilities

29 May 2006

Dubai: Residents in newly developed areas of the city will be provided with basic community facilities, Dubai's civic body chief announced.

These will include schools, hospitals, mosques, health centres, fire stations and other related services.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of the Dubai Municipality said that the civic body has prepared community services development plans in the new areas, which lacked basic facilities. "It includes communities developed by private developers," he said.

Residents in new areas have to travel long distances to reach hospitals, schools and other basic services. "We don't want them to take unnecessary trips to the centre of the city to meet their basic needs causing traffic congestion and also wasting time and energy," he said.

"Following directions from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Municipality has already instructed the government bodies concerned to provide the required community services in these areas," Lootah said. The Acting Director General met journalists on Saturday and spoke at length about strategic plans of the municipality. He said the municipality would undertake Dh1.5 billion worth of civic projects with a major focus on reshaping and restructuring the heart of the city and providing basic services to the newly developed parts of the emirate.

He noted that the municipality is aiming to have zero visits by its customers to its offices by providing all civic services online by 2007.

Explaining projects that seek to reshape the city centre, Lootah said these projects include beautification and landscaping, development of open spaces, and redevelopment of old areas.

"We want to add fresh charm to the city's central business districts. This is being done by carrying out beautification projects like the Deira Corniche Project, Bani Yas Square Fountain project and plazas.

"Also, landlords will be instructed in some old areas to construct new buildings instead of old and dilapidated ones," said Lootah.

He added that new projects also included construction of 29 public parks and 45 community parks.

For the first time, two sports parks will be exclusively for labourers staying in areas of Al Muhaisina and Al Quoz.