Dubai Municipality builds modern housing complex for DM labourers in Al Qouz

According to Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality, the complex will meet advanced specifications and criterion set for labour housing.

"The project forms part of the municipality's strategy to offer improved services to all municipal staff including labourers. We will soon tender the project for contracting companies to start construction," he said.

Lootah noted that the new premises would also meet the necessary health and environment prerequisites set forth by the Public Health Department of Dubai Municipality.

The project consists of several independent blocks of serviced- labour accommodation including a central restaurant, kitchen, mosque, recreational areas, car and bus parking lots, administrative block, medical clinic, guard room, sewage treatment station, commercial shops and a compound wall.

"This is the first phase of the project. During the second phase, we will add more labour housing in order to accommodate a larger number of labourers," said Lootah.

The municipality has issued laws to ensure high hygiene and safety standards inside the emirate's labour camps, based on the prevailing best practices in this field. These laws provide for specifications of the labour camps concerning the sleeping quarters, dining facilities, drinking water, health services, waste removal, pest control and first aid.

Very recently, the municipality has formed a committee to monitor the health and environment affairs in labour accommodations around the city. The committee's tasks include a review of the Municipality approved requirements and conditions of the environment and health of labourers at the work sites as well as at their accommodations and suggest modifications on these standards and conditions in order to accomplish the best hygienic standards and general safety for the labourers. It undertakes routine visits to the labour accommodations to ensure these conditions are met.