DUBAI // A state of the art ‘pet hotel’ will be the focal point of a planned animal market due to be built in Dubai.
The hotel, which will include a clinic for treating sick animals as well as acting as a kennel, is one of a number of facilities at the market that will include space for 80 shops.
Hussein Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, described the hotel as "high tech", adding that its primary use would be "taking care of pets when their owners are away from the country".
In addition, Dubai Municipality will also establish three other new markets: a traditional market, a fish and vegetable market, and a truck market. All four markets are in varying stages of completion.
An extension to the Al Fahidi market, a hyper market of 57 additional shops and a car park, will be opened in September.
Al Fahidi market had a soft opening earlier this year, and was valued at Dh80 million when it was first announced in 2012. The final construction cost is not known.
The traditional market will be opened in “a few days”, according to a Dubai Municipality press release. It will include shops selling Arabic perfume, crafts and showcasing traditional culture.
The truck market will include space for 88 shops selling heavy duty trucks.
The fish and vegetable market will replace the existing market at Hamriyah and will include a large dock for boats to offload their catches.
The five markets are part of a wider strategy to add both a new layer of tourist attractions to the city and boost small businesses, Dubai Municipality said.
“All these markets are expected to give a big leap in the economic growth of the emirate and add several new tourist attractions in the city of Dubai that always lives in the future,” said Khalifa Hareb, director of assets management department.
mcroucher@thenational.ae