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4 August 2009
Hamoud Humaid Al Mansouri, Director-General of Al Gharbia Municipality, said the five-year project would be split into two phases focussing on the maintenance and renovation of about 3,230 traditional houses.
Work on phase one, to maintain the houses, is underway in all the cities of the region. Engineering reports by municipality consultants have found the houses fit for habitation; renovation would be done to restore their architectural condition and in keeping with the traditional appearance.
“Phase two includes old houses, which have no use for maintenance works as they have already outlived their durability,” he said. A report on the technical condition of these houses will be submitted to the bodies concerned for action.
Al Mansouri said that a total of Dh4 billion has been allocated for setting up other development projects, including three new abattoirs, one each in Madinat Zayed, al Marfa and Ghayathi at a cost of more than Dh300 million.
The projects, according to him, also include four new integrated government services as well as a number of development projects such a new, 500kv power station in Madinat Zayed as well as irrigation networks and sport facilities in a number of the region’s cities.
Al Mansouri spoke in-depth about the new future projects which include parks, gardens, and increasing the area of green open spaces at a cost of over Dh287 million.
Parks include one in Bainoona at a cost of Dh14 million. The 42,000 square metres park will have mechanical-cum electrical rides. Also planned is an 110,000sqm, Dh30 million park in Madinat Zayed with facilities such as rides and a theatre. A 112,500sqm park for families is also planned for Madinat Zayed, at a total cost of Dh28,500,000.
Other projects include developing the public park in Madinat Zayed, beautifying the internal roads and improving the irrigation networks in the city.
In Al Marfa, the western gate of the city will be improved, and a park with rides and games for children will be set up on an area estimated 200,000 square metres, he said. The city itself will get a face-lift, he noted. Renovation and improvement projects include planting of flower beds on the sides of Al Marfa Street at a cost of Dh30 million.
“Dh 50 million has been allocated for building a new park, restaurants and public facilities on an area estimated at 150,000 square metres.
These facilities will be located near the Grand Mosque in Mizeriaa. Lush green areas and flower beds will be planted over vast areas in Mzeriaa,” Al Mansouri said. In Ghayathi, Dh40 million has been allocated for building 450,000sqm park as well as beautification of roads and other facilities and amenities.
A number of parks will also be constructed in residential districts, he said, adding that they will be spread over a total area of 105,000 square metres at a cost of Dh19 million.
Al Silaa will get a number of parks over an area of 85,000 square metres at a cost of Dh25 million.
These include parks in residential districts, sports and public facilities, and children playgrounds.
New parks will also be set up in Delma island on 126,000 square metres at a cost of Dh15 million. Other projects on the island include beautification of the main streets and roundabouts, a preliminary design for which was submitted last December.
Al Mansouri said that the region will also see the construction of three abattoirs at a cost of Dh300 million, work on which will begin shortly.
“Slaughter houses have been designed in each city with a capacity of 500 heads of sheep, 30 heads of camels and 20 heads of cows.”
“The municipality has completed executing a number of projects, of which enhancements of festival sites will cost Dh87.5 million, including the Dhafra Camel Beauty Festival site at a cost of Dh50 million; Liwa Camel Beauty Festival site at a cost of Dh7 million as well as Tal Muraeb Motor Vehicles and motor bikes race site at a cost of Dh 3 million.
The allocated amounts include road works, installation of iron fence on the road to prevent stray animals crossing.
Infrastructure of Al Ghariba First Water Sports festival site at Al Marfa has been made at a cost of Dh 500,000, he said. “The Municipality has also arranged the camel race course in Ghayathi at a cost of Dh 27 million, as well as internal roads at a cost of Dh 116 million and highways at a cost of Dh 290 million,” he said. The projects will be established in pursuance of the directives of the president His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and follow up by Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s representative in the Western region, he said, and described the projects as the biggest ever Al Gharbia has witnessed.
