Dubai Municipality to invest Dhs2.5bn on projects

The Dubai Municipality is carrying out development projects worth Dhs2.5bn across the emirate including construction of new markets and expanding existing ones, it announced on Sunday.

The civic body currently manages about 5,000 shops, warehouses and cafeterias in 14 different markets in the emirate, which were constructed at a cost of more than Dhs1bn.

“These facilities are leased for economic activities, which include the trucks and heavy equipment market and spare parts market in Ruwayyah-3, central fruits and vegetables market in Warsan, used car market in Al Aweer, birds and pets market in Warsan-3, camel market in Al Lisaili, cattle market in Al Qusais, textile markets in Nayef and Al Fahidi, and the traditional market in Al Hamriya,” said Hussein Nasser Lootah, director-general of the municipality.

The municipality is also developing a new central fruits and vegetables market at an estimated cost of Dhs500m and a multi-storey cold storage for vegetables and fruits involving 56 stores at an estimated cost of Dhs160m.

“This project will contribute towards increasing the storage capacity of vegetables and fruits and will meet the growing demand for cold storages,” said Lootah.

A build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract has also been signed with a company to develop a truck and heavy equipment washing station within the truck market. The station will also provide technical inspection services and registration.

“The municipality is constructing a specialised market for building materials in Warsan-3 at a cost of Dhs96m, which is 95 per cent completed,” said Lootah.

Another market dealing with furniture, electrical equipment and household appliances is being built at Nadd Al Sheba at a cost of Dhs76.8m. Development work on the project is 90 per cent complete, according to Lootah.

“We are currently communicating with furniture and construction materials companies to open their branches in the market,” he said.

These markets are expected to begin operations in the first quarter of 2017.

Juma Al Fuqae, director of Assets Management Department, added that the investment map of markets for the next five-year period – from 2017 to 2021 – has been prepared.

The projects will be funded either from the municipality’s budget or by attracting investors from the private sector, he stated.