Five years after Tamweel Tower burnt, residents want the finalities taken care of and their keys back. Antonie Robertson / The National
Five years after Tamweel Tower burnt, residents want the finalities taken care of and their keys back. Antonie Robertson / The National

Mixed emotions as Tamweel Tower residents wait to go home



DUBAI // Residents of Tamweel Tower struggled with mixed emotions of relief and frustration as they stepped into their homes for the first time in five years.

Relief that they were allowed to inspect their flats in Jumeriah Lakes Towers and frustration that uncertainty persists about the final handover.

Over the past two weeks, several owners revisited flats the authorities had closed for safety reasons after the November 2012 fire.

Cladding fire tests have been completed with civil defence awaiting a final report before permitting residents to move in.

“The cladding test is finished, we have a preliminary report, but we must wait for the final report,” said a Dubai Civil Defence official.

“Many residents have come to us to request to move in but we need to follow correct procedure.”

Residents have appealed for a detailed timeline.

“My apartments have been brought back to their original condition. It was good to see but I cannot express the depression we feel. Our morale is so low because every time there is depressing news to wait some more,” said H Hussein, who owns three flats, two of which were affected by the blaze.

“We are still in limbo and it has been a terrible level of uncertainty for the last five years.”

After repair work was completed late last year, delays in securing clearances have left owners anxious about expenses paying for rented apartments.

Mr Hussein and others have met civil defence officials requesting clearances be completed quickly.

“They reassured us that they are working on it, but can’t do anything since they were waiting for the final cladding report. I’m afraid it will get more delayed because we are told formalities are completed and then some new requirement comes up that is not met on time,” said Mr Hussein, who signed a new lease agreement in December since he was unsure when his family could move back into Tamweel.

As the first residential building on which cladding destroyed by a fire was replaced, Tamweel Tower is viewed as a key test case.

“It will be an important milestone when the cladding report comes through because that will mean the entire building is fire rated,” said Amit Suri, who is satisfied with repair work on the two flats he owns.

“It was a relief to see the apartments look as good as brand new. But it’s important to convert relief into reality and that will only be on handover.”

Other sticking points, such as raising the height of balconies to comply with new safety norms, will be complied with later.

“The (owners’) association needs to confirm in writing that balcony height will be revised post handover. This will not be a hindrance to issue approvals,” said another member of the Tamweel Tower Owner’s Association.

Initial hold-ups were caused since the post-fire process was unclear. The owners’ group had to register with the real estate authority, open a bank account to begin work on reconstruction clearances.

After homeowners obtained an estimate of losses and obtained municipality approvals, they invited contractors to submit tenders for repair work. However, the tender was declined by the insurer, who appointed another party to estimate losses from the blaze, resulting in the entire process starting from scratch.

Last year following a civil defence rule, all cladding not just panels destroyed in the fire had to be replaced.

“It has been extremely frustrating, we seem to move from one roadblock to another,” said Arif, a resident.

“We can only hope this time around we will soon go home. But there should be a time line and quicker recourse.”

________________________________

High-rise fires in the UAE

DUBAI // Aluminium cladding with an inflammable thermo-plastic core remains a safety issue after major fires in high-rise buildings in recent years.

The Tamweel Tower fire in November 2012 was caused by a discarded cigarette, according to police. The highly flammable cladding caused flames to spread up the building. Non-fire rated aluminium cladding was banned in new constructions but concern persists about older buildings.

Some fires left hundreds of residents temporarily homeless:

• Fire breaks out in a restaurant and partly wrecks a 15-storey residential building on Airport Road in Abu Dhabi on February 18.

• Residents evacuated the sea-facing Adriatic building on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah on December 12 after a fire in the 14-storey building.

• Fire sweeps through the 75-storey Sulafa Tower in Dubai Marina on July 20.

• Dozens of flats destroyed and hundreds left homeless after a blaze in two 26-storey towers at the Ajman One development on March 28 last year.

• Flames ripped through the Address Downtown Dubai hotel on New Year’s Eve 2015 making headlines around the globe.

• The Torch skyscraper in Dubai Marina was engulfed by flames on February 21, 2015.

•Tamweel Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers was partially gutted in a fire on November 18, 2012.

* Ramola Talwar Badam

rtalwar@thenational.ae

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

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Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

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  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours. 

The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.

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The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day. 

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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

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For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

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