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28 March 2024

Dubai toughens fire rules after tower blazes

Published
By AP

Dubai has new fire safety regulations following a series of skyscraper fires in recent years, but has offered few details about them.

A spate of skyscraper fires in fast-growing Dubai have been fueled by paneling on the sides of many buildings here, known as cladding. While cladding can be made with fire-resistant material, some buildings are covered with quick-burning tiles without any breaks to slow or stop a blaze.

Civil defense officials announced the new rules Sunday, focusing on how many pages the new rules were without offering specifics.

Dubai Civil Defense Lt. Taher Hassan al-Taher later told journalists that existing buildings with questionable cladding "would have to change it" under normal maintenance schedules. Asked how authorities would ensure buildings change their cladding, he said: "That's still on the table."