Sheikh Hamdan launches Dh30m fire alert system project for low-income Emirati households

Insurance coverage will also be provided for Dubai homes in the event of blaze

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed has approved a Dh30m fire safety plan. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, has launched a Dh30 million ($8.17 million) project to install fire alert systems for low-income Emirati households in the emirate.

The scheme will also provide insurance coverage for homes in the event of a blaze.

Dubai Civil Defence announced the project on Friday and said it includes installing fire detection and early warning systems.

These will be fitted in the homes of low-income citizens across the emirate, Dubai Media Office reported on Friday.

It is the latest step in sustained efforts to prevent fires in Dubai and help save lives.

Dubai Civil Defence has harnessed cutting-edge artificial intelligence to deliver fire safety alerts to more than a million residents in at-risk areas since the start of the year.

The authority has used advanced technology to analyse six years of fire incident data to determine how, when and where blazes are most likely to occur.

Information gathered through the Dubai Readiness programme, which was launched in January, is used to identify residents who live in fire-prone 'red zones' which have recorded the highest number of fires.

Figures from the Ministry of Interior this week showed a 10 per cent rise of building fires across the UAE in the past two years.

Civil Defence teams responded to more than 3,000 incidents in 2022, including 2,169 building fires – up 3 per cent from 2,090 in 2021 and 10 per cent higher than the 1,968 recorded in 2020.

These figures did not include information on deaths or injuries.

“The figures underscore the importance of adhering to safety rules,” Sami Al Naqbi, head of Sharjah Civil Defence, told The National this week.

“People often underestimate the potential for disaster until they're caught in one.

“Fire safety should never be taken lightly,” he said.