Dubai Police to replace street porter carts with 'Uber-style' pick-ups in anti-theft campaign

Senior officers say the trade is affected by undocumented workers and linked to minor crime and accidents

Dubai Police are looking to replace dolly carts used by porters in the Naif neighbourhood with licensed vehicles to prevent theft and accidents. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National

Col Omar Moosa Ashoor, the deputy head of Naif police station, says some porters overstay their work visas. A few of them also steal a box or two from the goods they ferry.

A porter loads a big box on a cart in Deira on June 22.

Mohammed Naseem, a spice shop keeper, says he always keeps a record of goods that he gives to the porter.

A porter pushes a trolley in Deira on June 22.

Some shop owners find Dh30 porter service affordable.

A bikers unit was launched by Dubai Police about five years ago to reduce incidents caused by porters.

Hundreds of traditional dolly carts used by porters in one of the oldest districts of Dubai are to be replaced by small, modern, Uber-style pick-up trucks.

Dubai Police said the carts would be taken off the streets of Naif, and shoppers would soon be able to use licensed vehicles ordered through a mobile app.

The move will help to regulate the work of porters and prevent theft and accidents in the area, officials said.

Police recently employed new tactics to eradicate crime in the neighbourhood, including the recent introduction of a plainclothes police unit.

Some men overstaying their visas work as porters. They sometimes steal a box or two from goods they are carrying, thinking no one will notice

Hundreds of shops selling goods such as spices, carpets and clothing are spread across Naif, and many owners use the services of porters for as little as Dh30 ($8).

"Some men overstaying their visas work as porters. They sometimes steal a box or two from goods they are carrying, thinking no one will notice," said Col Omar Ashour, deputy head of Naif police station.

“The proposal suggests replacing carts with vehicles that look like small pick-up trucks that can be ordered through a dedicated app.

"Each will have to be registered and carry a number plate to help track its route."

Crime is rare in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah – three of the 10 safest cities in the world – but police said that, inevitably, opportunistic thefts happen.

A Dubai Police bike unit was launched about five years ago to reduce incidents involving porters.

Authorities handled 354 cases of theft and accidents in the area in the first three months of this year, compared with 676 last year.

“Random moving of goods on dolly carts has caused congestion, accidents and thefts, but since we launched our bikers unit, these problems dropped significantly,” Col Ashour said.

On April 26, it will be one year since the Covid-19 lockdown in Naif, one of Dubai's oldest districts, was lifted. 'The National' visited the neighbourhood to see how residents and businesses are faring. All photos by Pawan Singh / The National

Residents were under strict stay-home orders from March 31 until April 26 of last year to control the spread of Covid-19. Authorities carried out mass testing and a sanitisation operation in the area

Shop owners said their businesses would pick up once more tourists start visiting the area. Naif is one of the oldest commercial districts of Dubai and used to be packed with tourists before the pandemic

Now, the streets mostly consist of local residents

Fawaz Bello, from Nigeria, was one of the thousands of people affected by the lockdown last year. He lives and works in the area and said life is slowly returning to normal for him

Businesses that have been operating for a long time in Naif are fairing well through a loyal local customer base. The Khan Shoes Repairing and Polishing store has been in the area since 1971. Amanullah Khan, pictured, said they are managing to keep their business afloat through long-time local customers who support them

However, newer businesses in the area are waiting for a tourist influx to increase sales. Moidu Parlat bought his shop four months ago and is trying hard to make ends meet, as business is slow

Across the road from streets packed with hundreds of shops, there is a waterway in Naif where large dhow and small abra owners operate their businesses. Owners of dhows are attracting customers with attractive deals on dinner cruises

Another large dhow in Naif

Small boat owners, however, are still trying to get back on their feet. Mohammed Akram is seen here waiting for customers who would want to use his boat for a sightseeing trip

“We have seen a remarkable decline in the number of all types of reports, from 3,223 between January and March last year to 1,877 the same period this year."

The police also launched its Compass Team, which has 17 undercover officers in Naif to monitor the area.

Col Ashour said the team had helped to reduce the level of petty crime, including theft, by 75 per cent.

A six-member team to study trends and suggest solutions was also formed.

“This team examines reports to figure out reasons behind crimes, then comes up with ways to reduce them,” Col Ashour said.

“For example, the team examined reports about thefts from shops. They narrowed down the reasons behind these thefts to shops hiring people on visit visas.”

An awareness campaign was launched with help from the infiltrators department after the team reported their findings.

The new vehicles will look something like this. Courtesy: Kaiyun Motors

The drive educated shop owners about the dangers of hiring illegal workers and also helped to reduce crime.

Shop owners in the neighbourhood said they were now more vigilant regarding illegal porters.

Mohammed Naseem, a salesman at a spice shop, said he always asked for a receipt from a porter.

“We always write down everything we are handing over to the porter and we each keep a copy, so we know what is being delivered,” he said.

"There are a few cases where some porters steal one little thing, but the ones who have been working here for many years are well reputed and their services are used by many shops. It's some of the newer ones who started working recently or a few years ago who steal."

Rouf Teecey, who has worked as a salesman in the area since 2006, said “most porters are reliable”, but there were a few that would have to be monitored.

He said some shop owners started to use licensed delivery services so they could track their goods.

“Many shops use porters because it is very cheap and it gets the job done, but more owners are starting to use licensed delivery companies so they feel more secure,” Mr Teecey said.

“I think if dolly carts get replaced with licensed pick-up trucks, it could offer even more security to shops here and also protect the porters.”

He said the number of workers with expired residence visas had grown slightly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said these men started working as porters in the area to earn an income.

“These are some of the newer ones who are stealing one or two things from the goods, but the old ones are well known by many shop owners here,” he said.

Deira mosque is older than the UAE – in pictures 

The Omar Ali bin Haider mosque has been welcoming workshippers since 1952. Located in the busy district of Deira, the house of worship is one of the oldest buildings in the country. All photos by Pawan Singh / The National

The mosque is known for its striking Islamic architecture, with one blue-tiled minaret adjacent to a giant dome that welcomes worshippers within its 465-square metre prayer hall.

Inside, there are Quranic verses scribed across the walls, with an enormous chandelier hanging right in the middle.

The call to prayer is sounded by speakers installed on the minaret

The mosque was built by the late Omar Ali Bin Haider, an Emirati businessman who was known for his philanthropic work in the centre of Dubai in the 1950s and 1960s

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the house of worship saw hundreds of Muslims gathering for prayers. During Eid it becomes busier than usual, with large crowds of people, dressed up for the Muslim holiday, exchanging greetings and hugs after the Eid prayer. Now, there are socially-distanced prayers being carried out, with other Covid-19 precautionary measures also in place

The mosque was renovated in 1984 by Mr Haider's son, Mohammed Omar