Tag Archives: weather
Thick fog blankets UAE, motorists warned
Thick fog blankets UAE, motorists warned 6 March 2014 Authorities have warned motorists to proceed with caution and drive with headlights or fog lights to ensure safety on the roads. Thick fog covered most parts of Dubai and neighbouring emirates on Saturday morning as motorists reported near-zero visibility. The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has warned motorists to be more cautious while driving due to low horizontal visibility owing to fog. Authorities have warned motorists to proceed with caution and drive with headlights or fog lights to ensure safety on the roads. According to NCMS, mild weather during the daytime with slight increase in temperatures, pleasant to rather cold by night over the internal and the mountainous areas. Weather will be fair to partly cloudy at times over some areas. Light to moderate winds in general. The relative humidity is likely to increase during night and early morning over internal and coastal areas, with a chance of fog formation. Share your pictures of the fog with us at talktous@khaleejtimes.ae . For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai to have sustainable residential city for Emiratis
Dubai to have sustainable residential city for Emiratis Sajila Saseendran / 4 March 2014 Civic body to implement Dh20 billion projects Shaikh Mohammed, Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikh Maktoum attend the briefing on the Dubai Municipality’s new projects on Monday. — Wam Dubai has announced a new residential city for Emiratis which will be self-sufficient in terms of resources, transport and energy, said to be the first of its kind in the world. The ‘Dubai Smart Sustainable City’ was one of many Dubai Municipality projects worth Dh20 billion that were approved by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday. An estimated 160,000 people will live in this self-reliant city that will come up near Al Aweer Roundabout, by the time Dubai hosts the World Expo in 2020. Shaikh Mohammed was briefed about this ambitious project of the Dubai Municipality during his visit to the municipality headquarters. The Director-General of the Municipality, Hussain Nasser Lootah, and senior officials briefed Shaikh Mohammed on various projects aimed at providing the essence of good life for citizens and residents, and quality facilities and smart services to the public in all areas of the emirate. Shaikh Mohammed in discussion with members of the Unesco’s World Heritage Committee in the presence of Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed and Hussain Nasser Lootah when they visited the municipality on Monday. The delegation is visiting the UAE to get first-hand knowledge about the Dubai Creek as a natural and cultural heritage site. — Wam Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, also attended the briefing. The most important of the new plans was the project titled ‘Dubai Smart Sustainable City’ which will be spread across a total area of 14,000 hectares and will be built in the shape of a desert flower. Surrounded by a green belt, the city will provide 20,000 plots for Emiratis. The roofs of the homes and buildings will be covered with solar panels which will provide 200 megawatts of electricity. The city will also recycle over 40,000 cubic metres of waste water. In line with the directives of Shaikh Mohammed, work on the project will commence immediately and is expected to be completed in 2020, the state news agency Wam reported. Dawood Al Hajri, the director of the Planning Department, presented the project which is aimed at bolstering Dubai’s ambition to become one of the top-10 sustainable cities by 2020. In September 2013, the Dubai Municipality had formed a high-level sustainability committee under the chairmanship of Assistant Director-General for Engineering and Planning Sector Abdullah Raffia to implement the green building regulations and other sustainable projects in the emirate. An artist’s impression of the proposed Dubai Boats Market. — Wam The Director of the Projects Department, Mohamed Al Mashroom, presented the Dubai Boats Market that is considered the first of its kind in the Middle East. Proposed to be located at Al Barsha South, covering 35 acres with a 10 hectares man-made lake for boats, the project will be an attraction for water sports enthusiasts once completed. It will contribute in converting Dubai to a global hub for manufacturing and selling of boats and fishing equipment and attract investments to the industry. Shaikh Mohammed also watched a presentation on the Palm Park project by Engineer Fatima Al Muhairi. Containing over 150 types of palm trees grown in the UAE, the project aims to be an educational, cultural and heritage project from which the current generation of the UAE can learn about the nation’s heritage and culture. The park will include a plaza for various activities, a lake, seating areas for families and playgrounds for children. Shaikh Mohammed was also briefed about other prestigious projects like digital address for Dubai and electronic system for food imports. Expressing his satisfaction with the projects, Shaikh Mohammed gave the green light for their implementation. He also praised the exemplary efforts of the municipality teams to make Dubai a smart and sustainable city. On the sidelines of the visit, Shaikh Mohammed also met a delegation of ambassadors and representatives of member countries of the Unesco World Heritage Committee who are on a visit to the UAE to acquaint themselves with Dubai Creek, which is nominated to be registered in the World Heritage list. sajila@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai Tram to put leisure, business districts on the map
Dubai Tram to put leisure, business districts on the map Lily B. Libo-on / 2 March 2014 Accessibility and mobility within Dubai, particularly in the new leisure and business districts of the emirate, will be improved as the Dubai Tram becomes functional by November this year. Tram facilitates zero-emission and hassle-free travel around new communities. — KT file photo The tram spanning 10.6km from Dubai Marina to Al Sufouh, is expected to transport about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in the initial phase in 2014. The technical trial run concludes on November 10, and the ridership is expected to hit 66,000 per day by 2020. The world’s first tramway that uses Platform Screen Doors in passenger stations fully synchronised with the tram’s doors opening and shutting mechanism, the Dubai Tram started testing without passengers on January 26 at Zone 1. In an interview with Khaleej Times , Abdullah Yousif Al Ali, Acting CEO, Rail Agency and Transport Authority of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said a series of 11 stations will provide a faster and more reliable way to get around the new communities in the area with zero emission and hassle. He said that the trip to Downtown Dubai and major business hubs of Dubai will be more convenient and hassle-free by the new integrated multi-modal rail system of Dubai. “The Dubai Tram will be running mainly along al Sufouh Road to link the Knowledge Village and Dubai Marina,” he added. A series of 11 stations along the way will give passengers access to and from shopping malls, hotels, offices and residential developments. Dubai Tram will run in both directions simultaneously, departing at six minute intervals, seamlessly linking the Dubai Metro to leisure and business hubs in the Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Internet City, Media City and Knowledge Village. “The Dubai Tram project complements the Dubai Metro Red Line, serving the city’s economic nerve-centre, the premium resorts and beaches that are at the heart of the city’s tourism trade, its prime residential areas and vibrant business centres,” Al Ali said. Dubai Tram is expected to transform the life of people within its catchment areas for the better. It will offer everyone a smooth, safe and spacious ride right in the heart of where it all happens. “Apart from its convenience and amazing features, the introduction of Dubai Tram will hugely benefit the community in creating a street culture of its own. It will also play an important role in paving the way for better commuting,” said Al Ali. lily@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
