Dubai will create a dozen new beaches and millions of square metres of green spaces at a cost of more than Dh2.5 billion.
The 29 projects, announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai on Twitter on Saturday, aim to improve the quality of life for Emiratis and residents.
The emirate will also build more spaces for swimming, better running paths and longer cycling lanes, he said.
“Today, we approved 29 new projects to add 8 million square meters of green spaces and gardens, at a cost of Dh2 billion, within Dubai's residential and commercial areas,” wrote Sheikh Mohammed.
“We are continuing to develop our city. We continue to improve our quality of life and we will continue to build our future.
“We also approved the development of 12 kilometres of Dubai's beaches, that cover 1 million square meters, from Mamzar Beach to Umm Suqeim II.”
He said the beach projects were being developed at a cost of Dh500m.
The project will be implemented in three phases - the first will cover 4,250 metres of beach extending from Al Mamzar Creek beach to Al Mamzar Corniche. The second phase will be to develop 2,150 metres of beach from Jumeirah Beach to Al Shorouq, and the third phase covers 6,015 metres in Umm Suqeim 1 and 2.
We continue to improve our quality of life and we will continue to build our future
The project aims to revitalise the beachfront and increase swimming areas, reported state news agency Wam. Dedicated areas for water activities and jogging and cycling tracks will be provided as part of the overall plan to promote a fitness culture and healthy lifestyle among the city’s residents.
Sheikh Mohammed was also briefed on the Dh100m Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary development project, which seeks to enhance the sanctuary’s ecosystem and biodiversity.
The project will increase wetlands in the sanctuary by 20 hectares and expand green cover by planting mangrove trees in a 100-hectare area. Service facilities and entertainment amenities will also be built as part of the project.
Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed a project to develop the first open garden on Al Mamzar Creek, which forms part of the Dh2 billion Green Dubai Project. Due to be built over four years, beginning next year, the project is set to add 8 million square metres of green spaces to the emirate.
“Quality of life in Dubai is the secret of loving life in Dubai,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
The emirate also recently announced plans to extend cycling paths by 88 kilometres across eight districts as part of a five-year master plan.
Priority has been given to the construction of tracks in three districts, spanning a total of 31km.
The first 16km stretch extends from Jumeirah Beach, parallel to the existing pedestrian track, passes along Al Sufouh Street before linking with the existing cycling track at the King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Street.
The second 7km route runs from the Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard to the cycling track on Jumeirah Street in the DIFC district and the 2nd of December Street.
The third section, which will be 8km long, links cycling tracks at Al Khawaneej and Al Warqaa through the Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street and Tripoli Street.
There are currently 425km of cycling tracks in Dubai.
The project will extend them to 647km by 2025 as part of plans to make the city bicycle-friendly.
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Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
