Abu Dhabi selects 223 mosques for landscaping



ABU DHABI // The municipality will spend up to Dh20 million (US$5.4m) on landscape improvements for 223 mosques over the next two years in response to community demand for improved prayer grounds, the head of planning for parks said yesterday. The mosques inside and outside Abu Dhabi Island earmarked for the improvements represent about half of the 555 mosques covered in a recent landscaping study.

The remaining mosques are either under construction, have no open areas that can be landscaped or are managed by private companies or other government entities. "Before, we received many suggestions from people to have some beautification of landscapes around the mosques in Abu Dhabi," said Ahmed al Muraikhi, the director of parks and recreational areas. "So it's come this idea to do it with a combination of soft and hard landscape."

The soft-landscaping work, he said, "includes trees, flowers, grass, and the hard-landscaping will be like tiles or any kind of aggregate". The work, which is being coordinated with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year, covering 96 mosques within the city centre, Mr al Muraikhi said. A second phase, to begin in 2012, would cover another 127 mosques outside the island and on the roads to Al Ain and Dubai.

Mr al Muraikhi said that maintenance and installation of irrigation networks, pumps, soil-drainage works and tanks will be included in the improvements. Annual maintenance costs are expected to be around Dh3 million (US$810,000) per year. In a press release issued by the municipality, Mr al Muraikhi said the project was meant to ensure all residents can pray in peaceful surroundings and that the holiness of the landmarks called for comfortable environments.

"Plantation and forestation of areas surrounding Abu Dhabi mosques commands the attention of the municipality," he said in the statement. "Likewise, other achievements made to maintain the urbanized and aesthetic appearance of Abu Dhabi [should] meet the ambitions and expectations of the entire community." The municipality has also planned seven new gardens as part of plans to "green" the emirate. The gardens will be in in the Al Bateen, Al Mushraf, Al Za'ab, Al Rawda and Al Nahyan neighbourhoods.

mkwong@thenational.ae

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Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

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