Mamzar Beach flies flag of excellence

Mamzar Beach flies flag of excellence Sajila Saseendran / 7 July 2013 It is official now. Dubai’s Al Mamzar Beach has become the first public beach in the emirate, and the second in the country, to fly the Blue Flag, an international symbol of excellence in safety and quality. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Dubai Municipality, hoisted the Blue Flag at Al Mamzar Beach Park on Saturday morning. Though two public beaches operated by the Dubai Municipality — Al Mamzar and Jumeirah Open Beach — have already received the coveted status awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the hoisting of the Blue Flag took place first in Al Mamzar. Dubbed the world’s biggest eco-label, the flag will be flown on the Jumeirah Open Beach in the coming days. Lootah said the Blue Flag is one of the benchmarks in the field of environment protection, cleanliness and safety which the civic body has committed to excel in. “The programme increases the chances of sustainable environmental development, the concept of eco-tourism and attracting more tourists to the country, highlighting what we are doing to protect the environment.” A mock drill of lifeguards and paramedics rescuing a drowning swimmer was conducted as part of the educational activities arranged at the beach. Officials distributed environmental awareness materials as well. Otherwise seen in Emirati attire, Lootah sported beachwear and swam over to the deep side of the shore to check in person the measures in place. The international quality mark is awarded to beaches and marinas which comply with 32 high standards in water quality, environmental education, eco-friendly management, and safety and services, said Mohammed Al Noori, Director of the Corporate Marketing and Relations Department. “It was a challenging job to meet certain criteria at the Jumeirah Open Beach, the entry to which is not restricted through a park, unlike in Mamzar,” said Al Noori, who also heads the Environment Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) with which the municipality had collaborated to carry out the Blue Flag programme. Complying with the prerequisites of the Blue Flag, the municipality has strengthened the safety measures and services for the beach users. According to Head of Public Parks Mohammed Al Fardan, eight lifeguards are now on duty at Al Mamzar Beach and three at Jumeirah Open Beach. “We have already fixed 50 beach parasols and 10 showers in Mamzar. We will increase the numbers as we are expecting more visitors due to the Blue Flag status,” he said. Access to people with special needs is another criterion met by the Blue Flag beaches, the water quality of which must fully comply with set standards. The ban on barbecuing and walking pets on the beaches are also strictly observed to maintain the status. If the criteria are not fulfilled during the season or the conditions change, the Blue Flag may be withdrawn. To date, 3,203 beaches and 646 marinas are awarded the Blue Flag worldwide, according to the website of the Blue Flag programme which completed 25 years in 2012. In total, 60 countries have been granted the Blue Flag, including Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean, Jordan and the UAE. The UAE is the first and only country in the GCC to have Blue Flag beaches and marinas. So far, eight beaches and four marinas in the country have become eligible to fly the prestigious symbol of safety and standards. Most of them are private properties. Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach was the first public beach to fly the Blue Flag in the UAE. sajila@khaleejtimes.com Taylor Scott International