UAE: Don't buy cheaper snacks from illegal street vendors, residents warned

Municipality authorities of the Northern Emirates have warned residents of buying cheap food from illegal street vendors.

The municipalities of Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah have launched an intensified crackdown on illegal street food vendors.

Sharjah municipality has said that it will not tolerate such activities during the holy month of Ramadan.

Obaid Saeed Al Tunaiji, Director-General of Sharjah Municipality, said it has initiated a crackdown on such activities, which usually take place in Ramadan.

He added that these illegal street vendors appear near the accommodation of the workers, who buy the snacks as they are much cheaper than in restaurants.

"Most of them use expired ingredients to make snacks, which often leads to food poisoning."

Al Tunaiji also said that the municipality has drawn up necessary plans and has prepared all its relevant departments and teams to inspect food preparation and serving facilities.

Establishments can now obtain licenses to display food items outside their premises. “The inspectors would not only target mobile vendors but also small food outlets that function during Ramadan without obtaining licenses from the municipality,” he added.

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Sharjah

Nasser Saeed Muhammad Al Tunaiji, head of the public health department at Al Dhaid Municipality, said a comprehensive plan has been developed to monitor food products during the holy month. "Inspectors have been assigned to monitor mobile food vendors who cook food at their accommodation using expired products and sell them to workers and poor families. The mobile vendors who violate the municipality regulations would be subjected to strict punishment including deportation.”

Ajman

Khalid Al Hosani, director of the health and environment department at the Ajman Municipality, said mobile food vending is prohibited in Ajman. He said that it is a violation of the health regulations in the Emirate. Al Hosani added that the street vendors were conducting business illegally.

Fujairah

Hassan Al Yamahi, director of Dibba Fujairah Municipality said that food vending is strictly prohibited in the Emirate and the municipality is putting in great effort to crack down on these vendors.

• Ajman
• Sharjah
• Fujairah