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28 March 2024

Safe to swim in Dubai today? Now there's an app for it

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

Are you planning to go for a swim in the sea, but afraid of a current or strong wind? All of this can now be checked with a simple click on the phone.

The Dubai Park and Beaches app. (Supplied)

Water temperature, wave height and water level of any public beach in Dubai are some of the details provided on the Dubai Parks and Beaches app, launched at Gitex Technology Week on Sunday.

“We work in cooperation with the National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS). Every morning before we open a public beach, we first inquire about the weather conditions,” explained Mohammad Hassan Al Fardan, Head of the Parks and Recreation Section at the Public Park and Horticulture Department of Dubai Municipality.

“If the weather conditions are rough and swimming is not recommended, this will be mentioned on the app.”

Weather conditions can be given three days in advance, and accordingly a weekend barbeque can easily be planned.

The app does not only mention public beaches. Public parks, community parks and ponds are also listed.

The app informs the user of entrance fees, distance to the public area, amenities, number of water bodies, tree species and the birds that can be seen.

Further, the app runs on a location basis, so the nearest public area for the user is always mentioned first, added Al Fardan.

An added feature will soon make it easier for people to enter the public areas. “Soon people will also be able to pay the entrance fee through the app. After making the payment, a code on the phone will allow the visitor entrance to the park,” he said, adding that this would be possible before the end of the year.