His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the UAE Cabinet's meeting at Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, 24 April. During the meeting, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed allocated Dhs 2 billion to address the damages suffered by citizens' homes. A ministerial committee has been assigned to oversee this matter, evaluate damages, and distribute compensations in collaboration with other federal and local entities.
The meeting focused on the impact of the recent extreme weather conditions in the country. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed also shared that over 200,000 reports were handled by central operations rooms. More than 17,000 members from security, emergency, and interior entities, along with 15,000 members from local authorities and thousands of volunteers, worked together to manage the consequences of the weather event.
Furthermore, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for the follow-up and support and his directives to conduct damages assessments, provide support for families, and immediately assess the status of the infrastructure, emphasising that the safety of citizens and residents is the top priority.
Additionally, in the Cabinet meeting, a committee was formed to assess the damage caused by floods and rain to infrastructure and propose solutions and measures at the national level.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure chairs the committee and includes members from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, other federal entities, and representatives from all seven emirates.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Also Approved Several Measures Recently
Recently, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai approved several measures and initiatives to support the ongoing recovery from the impact of the recent severe weather conditions experienced on Tuesday 16 April.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan established a committee to urgently review all requests from Emirati citizens affected by the heavy rain, to determine the most appropriate measures to address these requests, prioritising the repair and rehabilitation of the homes of affected citizens. Besides this, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan instructed the Dubai Land Department and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency to cooperate with property developers to expedite the return to normalcy in all developer-managed communities. Residential management firms and real estate developers will provide the following services without extra fees:
- Provision of alternative housing for affected residents
- Distribution of food within impacted communities
- Implementation of comprehensive pest control services
- Enhancement of security measures to ensure resident safety
- Assistance with returning to residential properties, including interior cleaning services
- Monitoring and documenting damages incurred during the insurance coverage period
- Assistance in assessing potential risks to properties