Pulling down buildings is never the cleanest of jobs.
In one of Dubai's oldest communities, however, there are complaints that unwelcome visitors have slithered in and taken up residence as demolition crews go to work.
Snakes have been spotted in increasing numbers, some say.
Others reported rats around vacant buildings and debris on the streets as air conditioning and kitchen and bathroom fittings are ripped out.
One of the houses on our road recently became vacant and within a day there was a truck outside the front door and men were ripping out the AC units, sinks and toilets
Emma Copson,
Jebel Ali Village resident
Demolition work has started in Jebel Ali Village, where about 290 homes dating to the 1970s will be replaced with town houses and luxury villas.
As part of the redevelopment plans, residents of the Nakheel-owned community were served a 12-month notice to vacate last year.
While many tenants chose to sign tenancy contracts which expire in October, they said the construction work and a rise in pests make their living situation difficult.
“Quite frankly, it’s awful but it’s going to get much worse,” said Emma Copson, a British resident who has lived in the villas since 2020.
“[Nakheel] did promise us that demolition work would not start until after [all the tenants] had moved, but houses near Spinneys have already been torn down.
“One of the houses on our road recently became vacant and, within a day, there was a truck outside the front door and men were ripping out the AC units, sinks and toilets.”
Snakes spotted by tenants
Nader Elias said: “Because of the construction and demolition, there is a lot of disruption, a lack of security and properties around us have been prepared for demolition.
“We have started to see more snakes — they appeared inside our house twice — and the whole area has become dusty and [messy] because of the demolition.”
Mr Elias said he contacted the developer several times with his complaints but little has been done to resolve the issues.
British resident Euan Megson moved out of the area two weeks ago after living in his villa for seven years.
He said the area has gone “downhill so quickly”, which is why they decided to move out early.
“It’s really quite sad," he said.
“There's palm trees that are just dying. They've stripped empty villas of AC units, boilers, that type of stuff, and they are storing them in other vacant villas that still have windows and doors attached.
“There’s also hardware left behind as an eyesore for residents.
“None of this was supposed to start until the last person had moved out of the village [later this year].”
Mr Megson, who runs a communications firm in Dubai, added: “It has been quite emotional for residents who have lived here for years and it was hard to see the first demolition work, which started prematurely.”
After sending a complaint by email in March, Mr Megson said Nakheel confirmed that three villas were about to be demolished.
In their response on March 28, they said all required permits were obtained from the enforcing authority, along with formal inspection plans.
“The work will be carried out in a way which ensures safe options and compliance with all relevant legislation and reflects safety risk assessments which have been carried out and mitigation plans for this type of activity,” the statement read.
The National contacted Nakheel but they declined to comment.
Originally built for the British and Dutch staff at the nearby Jebel Ali Port in the mid 1970s, over the years the village has become popular with people from other nationalities, too.
As part of redevelopment plans released by Nakheel in March, three- and four-bedroom town houses and large villas will be part of a new gated community.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
The specs
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Transmission: 6-speed auto
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On sale: now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
