A number of apartments and cars were damaged in the blaze. Photo: Ajman Police
A number of apartments and cars were damaged in the blaze. Photo: Ajman Police
A number of apartments and cars were damaged in the blaze. Photo: Ajman Police
A number of apartments and cars were damaged in the blaze. Photo: Ajman Police

Large fire at Ajman apartment block brought under control


  • English
  • Arabic

Emergency services in Ajman have contained a large fire that swept through a 15-storey residential building.

Ajman Police said some tenants had to be rescued from their homes as flames engulfed the apartment block.

There were no deaths or injuries recorded.

The tower was evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out on Friday afternoon on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street.

The force said on social media that 16 apartments and 13 vehicles were damaged.

Police shared pictures and video of the fire taking hold in the lower section of the building.

Cooling operations were conducted after the fire was extinguished.

Police are investigating the cause of the incident.

Brig Gen Abdullah Al Matrooshi, director general of operations at Ajman Police, called on all building owners and tenants to follow safety measures to reduce the risk of fires.

Col Ailan Al Shamsi of Ajman Civil Defence said the emirate's fire crews were assisted by teams from Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain.

In June, Firefighters tackled a large blaze in a 36-storey tower in the Ajman One complex.

Ajman Civil Defence and police teams were able to bring the blaze under control.

Ajman Police said there were no injuries in the fire.

Lt Col Gaith Al Kaabi, director of Al Madinah Police Station, said 64 apartments and 10 cars were damaged in the blaze, while shelter was being provided for 256 residents in conjunction with Emirates Red Crescent.

Building fires on the rise

Recent Ministry of Interior figures revealed a significant increase in the number of building fires reported in the UAE.

Civil defence teams responded to more than 3,000 incidents in 2022, including 2,169 building fires – up 3 per cent from 2,090 in 2021 and 10 per cent higher than the 1,968 recorded in 2020.

The majority of fires took place in residential areas, with homes and apartments accounting for 1,385 of the incidents, the ministry said.

Emergency services responded to 396 incidents in Ajman last year.

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Updated: August 11, 2023, 5:59 PM