A firefighter stands outside the Grenfell Tower in London. Metropolitan Police via AP Photo
A firefighter stands outside the Grenfell Tower in London. Metropolitan Police via AP Photo

New codes aim to stop tower tragedy



It is hardly surprising that the debate about fire safety in the UAE has once again surfaced following the catastrophic loss of life in the recent Grenfell Tower tragedy in London. Commentators who drew parallels between a number of recent fires in tower blocks in the UAE, in which aluminum panels were found to have been a contributing factor to the spread of the fire, were reassured by recent legislation.

In January, new fire safety regulations came into force nationwide, with prosecution and fines of up to Dh50,000 for companies who break the rules, which includes rules on cladding regulations.

In fact, the head of Alucopanel, a world leader in aluminum panels which supplies developers in the UAE, claimed this week that a disaster like the one which befell North Kensington “cannot happen in Dubai” thanks to the new guidelines since “there is no room for any developer to use non-fire resistant panels”.

Many residents will be reassured. Still, if the London tragedy reinforces one point, it is the need to ensure such legislation remains continuously enforced and buildings with infrastructure that predate the new codes need to be inspected. What happened in North Kensington does appear to have been a consequence of an attempt to cut costs at the expense of safety.

Dubai has experienced its fair share of cladding-related fires over the past few years, including the Tamweel tower fire in 2012, the Address Hotel and Torch Tower incidents in 2015 and another incident last year. And here, as elsewhere, it does appear cost was a consideration.

The code introduced in Dubai in 2012 aimed at halting the use of flammable aluminum composite panels. That was found not to have been fully implemented because of the high cost of tests, leading contractors to opt for cheaper materials despite the legislation. The new codes brought in this year aim to minimise and eventually eradicate such incidents.

One positive of the publicity surrounding these tragedies is that residents now routinely ask about cladding before moving into a new building, meaning developers know forgoing such elements will affect their bottom line.

Yet there remain hundreds of towers and buildings built before the new legislation took effect and cladding on these towers must be inspected and if necessary replaced to ensure no tragedies occur. Enforcement of the new code is the key to prevention.

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Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho

Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson

Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)

Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola

Company Profile

Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000

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Brief scores:

Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first

Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)

Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15

Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)

Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49

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Company Profile

Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government

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Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Sebastian Roche, Elpidia Carrillo
Rating: 4/5

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A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.

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4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.

4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.

7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.

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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.

For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Telr
Based: Dubai, UAE
Launch year: 2014
Number of employees: 65
Sector: FinTech and payments
Funding: nearly $30 million so far

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1. Fasting

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4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Company Profile

Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8

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1987

1954

1921

1888

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Europa League final

Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports

Important questions to consider

1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?

There are different types of travel available for pets:

  • Manifest cargo
  • Excess luggage in the hold
  • Excess luggage in the cabin

Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.

 

2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?

If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.

If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.

 

3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?

As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.

If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty. 

If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport. 

 

4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?

This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.

In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.

 

5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?

Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.

Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.

Source: Pawsome Pets UAE