Former tenants of Al Tayar tower during a meeting in Nahda Park.
Former tenants of Al Tayar tower during a meeting in Nahda Park.

Victims band together in Sharjah fire compensation battle



SHARJAH // About 20 former tenants of the fire-gutted Al Tayyer tower met in Al Nahda park last night to discuss their next move in their battle for compensation from the building's owner.

The group discussed options including taking the case to court and lobbying for intervention by the Sharjah Ruler.

The tenants, who were meeting for the first time, agreed to take on the case as a group after having no success individually.

"It is easier to dismiss a single person but not a group," one tenant said. "We should not feel shy about asking for our compensation because we lost everything."

They agreed to have more meetings this week, possibly in the presence of lawyers.

The blaze displaced more than 100 families in April. But the insurance company ruled that because the fire was started by a discarded cigarette, the building's owner could not be held liable.

Most of the tenants said they were still struggling to rebuild their lives. They also claimed landlords of nearby buildings were capitalising on their suffering by increasing their rents.

Company%20Profile
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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Company profile

Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space

Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)

Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)

Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution) 

Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space  

Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019