Sharjah authorities are continuing round-the-clock efforts to drain floodwater after heavy rain hammered parts of the emirate last week.
While shop owners in some of the worst-hit areas begin to assess the extent of their losses, they now face the prospect of more rainfall on Tuesday evening and into the early hours of Wednesday.
Sharjah Municipality said it had cleared floodwater from main roads and vital areas as part of the operations to contain the impact of the recent unstable weather.
Teams equipped with machinery and pumps were sent to affected locations to drain the water.
The National visited Sharjah's Al Majaz 3 area and spoke with business owners who described days of disruption and losses.
How ready was Sharjah for the rain?
Shaju Francies, owner of Alfain photo-copy centre, said he had taken precautions after suffering heavy losses during the 2024 storm, when floodwater caused nearly Dh1 million in damage to his shop.
This time, he installed waterproof wooden barriers and foam in an attempt to keep the water out.
“Water kept coming despite the preparation and it damaged some machines,” Mr Francies, from India, told The National.
“In 2024, my loss was nearly Dh1 million and this time my loss is about Dh300,000 to Dh400,000.”
Floodwater reached knee height inside the shop, mainly because of water waves caused by traffic, forcing Mr Francies to move some equipment upstairs and remain inside the premises for four days.
“I have a second-floor space and I've slept inside since Thursday,” he said. “I saved two machines by moving them to the upper floor.
“I live about 10 kilometres away from the shop. I was arranging food and water over the last four days as I was trapped inside. There was no electricity or water.”
Nearby, supermarket owner Hanif Khan managed to avoid major losses after taking similar precautions.
“In 2024, rainwater was up to the knee and damaged the goods,” he told The National.
“This time I managed to block the water. Only a small amount went inside but without damage.”
However, the disruption still took a toll on business as customers couldn't access his shop and Mr Khan found it difficult to carry out deliveries.
“I didn’t sell anything in the last three days and today I managed to open the shop and start delivering to customers,” Mr Khan said. “It is a tough situation but, thank God, I nearly escaped serious losses.”
What next with more rain to come?
Mr Khan said he is hoping the rainwater in front of his shop can be cleared before Tuesday afternoon, when more rain is forecast.
“I heard more rain is coming but I don’t think it will be as tense, like the former storm. I will keep the waterproof barriers and foam for a couple of days to make sure water won’t come inside” he said.
For Noushad Ahmed, who has owned Jamal Al Tamimi Designing for two years, the impact was still being assessed.
“I put waterproof foam on the glass display of the shop and used sandbags also. It was good, but after three days of floodwater, it started leaking inside,” he said.
“It wasn’t too much water inside, but I came today to check and calculate my losses. I’m checking my printers and computers now to see if they are working. It’s been three days without operation.”
While authorities work to clear remaining water and restore services, many small business owners now face the challenge of repairing damage and recovering from days of lost income.
