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'Clear set of guidelines needed'

DUBAI — Retailers have expressed concern on the need to have a clear set of guidelines on how the smoking ban policy should be implemented.

"We need to know what the government has actually decided upon, as well as the guidelines that we need to follow so we can effectively implement the policy. We hope we can also be given a chance to present our suggestions through the Dubai Shopping Malls Group," said Zahid Nayeem, a manager at Bin Sougat Centre.

Nayeem also said the no-smoking policy has been in place for a while but it has not been enforced properly.

"Even prior to the recent government announcement, we have already made the policy mandatory in the Children's Play Area and the Food Court, which are frequented by women and children. The mall management took it upon themselves to implement the policy because of its concern for customers' health," he added.

Ahmed Niazi, Senior Manager of SBK Real Estate, the company that manages Karama Centre, said the Government of Dubai had introduced the no-smoking regulation a few years ago and it is being followed by shopping malls across the emirate.

He, however, admitted that implementation wasn't strict because no fines were imposed on violators.

"The policy has always been welcomed by the industry because it addresses health and safety concerns. But since our mall does not have enough space for a designated smoking area, the most that we could do was to remove ashtrays from inside the mall and place them outside," he said.

• UAE