New commercial signboards for malls soon

Over 70,000 businesses have complied with the regulations since their launch in 2011, which has greatly enhanced the emirate’s urban streetscapes.

Commercial signage in a building after the regulations on signboards were implemented by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. -Supplied photo

Abu Dhabi - The Abu Dhabi Commercial Signage Regulations, which govern commercial signs on buildings, are set to become easier to implement with the help of a new interactive tool.

Over 70,000 businesses have complied with the regulations since their launch in 2011, which has greatly enhanced the emirate’s urban streetscapes.

The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) launched the new tool which it says will make it simpler for business owners and signage manufacturers to adhere to guidelines designed to enhance the appearance of building fronts and minimise visual clutter.

The UPC says that since introducing the Commercial Signage Regulations in 2011 in partnership with the Department of Economic Development (DED), residents have seen a dramatic improvement in the visual appeal of public spaces. Building facades that used to be covered with unsightly signage are now clear and make a positive contribution to the emirate’s architectural aesthetic. Badly positioned signs that once posed a hazard have been removed.

The regulations cover the type, size and location of any sign advertising a business inside a building, be it a villa, a retail outlet or commercial tower.

The new tool enables users, such as business owners and signage design companies, to quickly and easily navigate the Commercial Signage Regulations in order to see what is applicable to their requirements, without having to go through the entire document.

Since the launch of the Commercial Signage Regulations, an annual average of 70,000 businesses renewing their licences and 8,500 new businesses were required to apply the regulations. The impact of the regulations can be seen in Al Zahiyah (Tourist Club Area), Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Street and along Hamdan Street.

Following the success of the Commercial Signage Regulations, the UPC is now working on signage regulations for industrial buildings and larger retail buildings such as malls.

Abdulla Al Sahi, executive director, corporate services sector, UPC, said: “Adherence to the Commercial Signage Regulations is important to the emirate’s future vision and is in accord with the guiding principles of Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, which calls for more liveable, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing public spaces across the emirate in line with the Estidama guiding principles.

“We’re pleased that in just a few years, so many commercial buildings have already either met or retrofitted the standards. It’s fantastic that the Tool is available for anyone to use, making it quicker and easier to produce and fit commercial signage that meets the Regulations.”

Mohammed R. Al Romaithi, executive director of Abu Dhabi Business Centre at DED, said: “We’re excited about how much time it will save building owners and signage companies in implementing the regulations.”

— haseeb@khaleejtimes.com