SHARJAH // Peeling facades and crumbling masonry bear witness to more than 30 years of merciless heat, overcrowding and frequent neglect, but nevertheless for some the buildings are like old friends and the prospect of wholesale demolition is not entirely welcome.
Dating back to the early 1970s, the maze of narrow one-way streets that is Sharjah's business district has helped the emirate through its economic development.
Tens of thousands of people have lived and worked in the cramped and sometimes dingy mix of low- and high-rise buildings.
Some have stood the test of time well and been given facelifts and renovations, while others are victims of poor maintenance and overcrowding.
Either way, they stand condemned under plans by the Sharjah Government to demolish large tracts of the area and put up "shiny towers" instead.
Although some people argue that the old buildings are what makes Sharjah's city centre a unique urban environment, surrounded by cities witnessing unprecedented growth, the emirate feels it has outgrown the need for them.
This summer, it will send in the bulldozers to clear hundreds of buildings at the start of a massive redevelopment project.
The news came as a surprise to residents and businesses in districts marked for redevelopment, who said they knew nothing of the proposal and feared that the logistical challenge of relocating tens of thousands of people could mean chaos and years of delay.
"We have not heard a thing regarding this. At least we should have a notice informing us months, even a year in advance," said Mohammed Tareq, a shift manager at Kanoo's, a shipping company which owns its three-storey offices in the Al Marrijah area.
Although the building has problems with its plumbing, and with some of the entrance tiling, he described the prospect of uprooting as "nightmarish".
"People who live in the city should be consulted and given choices to where to move to."
Praveen Singh, a leather and textile store manager in the 20-year-old Souk al Waqaf was also unaware of the plans. He has worked in the store for over 10 years.
"I don't really know what this would mean for business, but where will we all go to when they start?" he said.
Fraz Mohsin, an Indian expatriate who has lived in Sharjah for two years, believes moving could be financially disastrous.
"I share a modest one-bedroom shack with four other guys and we all work as helpers in the area locally and save money this way," he sighed.
"What do we do I have no idea. I hope it is not true."
The Al Hadi building was built in the 1960s, its once-white colour now grey and even dark green in some sections. Like most in the Al Ghuwair district, its decay is accelerating. However, Mohammed Hadi, the owner of the nine-floor structure, is not keen to lose it.
"The buildings are old and I understand the need to redevelop the land and improve the traffic," he said, "but we don't know anything about the proposal and what is in place."
There were those, however, who said the redevelopment might be just what the city centre needs.
"This way we can really put Sharjah on the map," said Ali Anjam Mohammed, who has lived and worked for 20 years in a three-story building that he owns in the Umm Tarrafa area.
He felt parts of the city needed to be "bulldozed" and rebuilt from scratch. "We have the traffic issue, health and safety and sanitary issues that affect some of these areas seriously."
shafez@thenational.ae
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
