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29 March 2024

All UAE free zones to come under Dubai Civil Defence inspection

Civil Defense officials at the site of the JLT Tamweel Tower fire in November.

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

The Civil Defence will carry out inspections of free zone areas in all emirates, said Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi at the Dubai Civil Defence Customer Service Conference on Sunday.

Currently, free zones are regulated by free zone authorities who develop and implement their own laws and inspections.

Though the laws in the free zones will remain unchanged, Civil Defence will soon be authorised to carry out inspections of the free zones.

“We will start off inspections whether contractors are complying with the rules,” says Matrooshi.

In Dubai, permits will still be given by the free zone authorities.

“These free zones are growing fast and they will deal with these activities themselves. But in other emirates, we will undertake more comprehensive tasks,” said Matrooshi.

In the last half year, two major fires broke out in two free zone areas in Dubai -- Tecom and Jumeirah Lakes Towers. In both cases, the exterior building material was believed to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, after which concerns grew over fire safety regulations in these areas.

 “From now on there will be no exceptions,” said Matrooshi on the sidelines of the conference.

Civil Defence will take on the new responsibilities  in early 2013. 
 

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