A Dubai property regulator has renewed calls for developers and owners to work together to identify towers where combustible aluminium cladding must be changed and outlined details about a new safety drive to replace the facades.
The Real Estate Regulatory Agency, the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land department, will provide a list of government approvals required to repair older buildings with non-fire rated cladding and has made it mandatory for owners’ associations to issue tenders to ensure fair prices for overhaul of façade portions that must be changed.
A senior official described it as necessary to protect residents in the emirate’s towers and part of an overall aim to adhere to high standards and continue attracting investments in property, tourism and business.
“We have made it a requirement that tenders are conducted to find the best quotations for the replacements. Developers and management companies will resort to government agencies to obtain necessary licenses and approvals,” said Mohammed Khalifa bin Hammad, senior director of Rera’s real estate regulatory department.
“Rera has begun granting fee approvals from owners of joint-owned properties to replace non-fireproof cladding materials with fireproof cladding materials. It should be noted that the change from non-fireproof to fireproof cladding materials will significantly reduce the insurance fees for these buildings.”
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Do not sacrifice fire safety for cost, Dubai conference hears
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Major property companies have already spoken out saying their buildings are in line with government criteria.
The focus on fire safety and scrutiny of the materials used on building facades intensified after the Grenfell Tower blaze in London that killed at least 80 people in June and several high-rise tower fires in the UAE, including the recent Torch tower fire in August, the second in one of the world’s tallest residential buildings in less than three years.
“Non-fireproof cladding materials will be replaced with fireproof materials within common areas but not inside owned units. The developers and management companies will take care of the residents of these buildings,” Mr Hammad said.
He said owners were being “encouraged to replace the facades of non-fireproof buildings in cooperation with real estate developers,” based on security guidelines from Dubai Municipality and Civil Defence.
“This includes ensuring the effectiveness of firefighting systems in order to ensure the safety of residents, which is part of our wider endeavour to preserve Dubai’s reputation as one of the world’s leading destinations for business, investment, tourism, and accommodation,” Mr Hammad said.
The flammable thermo-plastic core within the aluminium composite panels, now banned in new constructions, has been blamed by experts for fuelling fire in skyscrapers in the UAE and globally.
As per new regulations, the core within the aluminium panel skin must consist of the highest quality fire-retardant minerals that can limit the fire spread.
But buildings that predate the 2012 UAE Fire and Life Safety Code give cause for concern with measures needed to delay potential flames from sweeping over the structure.
Rera said it was committed to proactive and preventative measures along with developers such as Dubai Properties to reduce fire accidents and identified plans in the Business Bay area where measures have already been implemented in a statement last month.
Dubai Properties said its developments met safety standards.
“Our major developments, including the Executive Towers, Vision Tower and Bay Square projects in the Business Bay area, already meet the required specifications and do not need replacing,” said Marwan Al Kindi, executive director at Dubai Properties.
Mr Al Kindi said the developer welcomed the Land Department’s drive to replace non-fire resistant building facades, adding that the company had selected cladding and construction material based on the highest fire-resistance standards.
Another major developer Nakheel too said “all existing and upcoming Nakheel buildings meet Dubai’s fire safety standards in terms of building materials and standards.”
A spokeswoman said Nakheel would continue to observe and comply with any new regulations.
Al Thuriah Properties said fire barriers were in place in projects it had constructed since 2005 with all towers using fire-retardant cladding.
No towers within the developer’s older projects required replacement, a spokesman said.
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Schedule for show courts
Centre Court - from 4pm UAE time
Johanna Konta (6) v Donna Vekic
Andy Murray (1) v Dustin Brown
Rafael Nadal (4) v Donald Young
Court 1 - from 4pm UAE time
Kei Nishikori (9) v Sergiy Stakhovsky
Qiang Wang v Venus Williams (10)
Beatriz Haddad Maia v Simona Halep (2)
Court 2 - from 2.30pm
Heather Watson v Anastasija Sevastova (18)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) v Simone Bolelli
Florian Mayer v Marin Cilic (7)
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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.
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
