The decision has been enforced as part of the municipality’s commitment to “protect and enhance public health and to protect non-smokers, especially children, women, elderly and sick people from passive smoking.”

Security personnel at several malls said that they had been directed by their managements to first request a person to stop smoking or to leave the mall premises.

“There have been quite a few cases since morning and we are on an alert asking them to stop. Most of the people have been nice and they have listened to us till now,” said a mall executive.

“There were, however, some who were a bit stiff. They were tackled by our senior staff in the security section. We have been directed to bring a person to them if they are not  listening to us. They will then be handed over to the Dubai Municipality inspectors or the Dubai Police,” said a security guard posted at the Mercato Mall. 

The security men posted at Mall of the Emirates also said the same. “This has doubled our work. We have to be more alert now. We have been asked by the authorities to keep a watchful eye and continuously patrol the area, especially the Food Court. There were some who were smoking and they promptly listened to us when requested,” added the security personnel. 

Meanwhile, the Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) has stated that the restaurants and food-serving outlets situated inside a shopping mall will also have to press for the no-smoking regulation on their customers.

Chairman of DSMG Eisa Adam Ibrahim told Khaleej Times that any restaurant inside a mall which offers free hand to smokers needs to have permission from the Dubai Municipality and a fully-equipped ‘smoking room’ with adequate smoke exhausts inside the premises.

“People cannot sit in the restaurants located inside the malls and smoke. If at all a restaurant wants that its customers can have a smoke, they must have a ‘smoking room’ within their area. Also, they must seek permission from the Dubai Municipality. It will be the responsibility of the restaurants to ensure this,” he said.

Ibrahim said the group had distributed leaflets concerning the ‘no-smoking’ regulation to all the shopping malls and shopping centres.

“In addition to this, the malls will be publicising the new regulation from time to time so that people are made aware. Stickers would also be helpful. Private security guards as well as municipality inspectors would be doing their bit too. We would be regulating smoking in an easy way. People will be requested not to smoke inside,” Ibrahim added.

Most of the shopping malls have earmarked smoking areas in the premises.

“We have put up a sign near the entrance which would inform the people about the regulation. The ones craving for a smoke will be allowed to do so only near the main entrance,” said a representative of the Deira City Centre.

The management executives at BurJuman said there would be two ‘smoking’ areas, one each at the two main entrances. The Ibn Battuta Mall will have a smoking area near its main food court. In Wafi City, people will be allowed to smoke six metres away from the main entrance.

Staff at Lamcy Plaza and Mercato Mall staff stated that smokers could smoke only six metres away from the main entrance.

Most of the visitors to malls welcomed the step. “This is a good step by the authorities. A smoke-free environment is always welcome. The other emirates in the country should also follow suit,” said Malina, an Australian national.