Construction products being tested for fire resistance and safety at Emirates Safety Lab. Photo: Dubai Civil Defence
Construction products being tested for fire resistance and safety at Emirates Safety Lab. Photo: Dubai Civil Defence
Construction products being tested for fire resistance and safety at Emirates Safety Lab. Photo: Dubai Civil Defence
Construction products being tested for fire resistance and safety at Emirates Safety Lab. Photo: Dubai Civil Defence

Dubai to standardise fire safety testing for building materials


Ali Al Shouk
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai has set out plans to standardise fire safety testing procedures for building materials such as cladding and cables.

The emirate's Civil Defence said on Monday that suppliers and contractors will be required to have products assessed at its dedicated lab before they can be used in construction projects.

Previously, such tests could be conducted at private facilities.

Companies who have had materials independently assessed must have them analysed again by the Emirates Safety Lab to receive a certificate of compliance which confirms they meet the UAE's safety standards.

They must secure the certificate by October in order to register their products as safe for use in building work.

Dubai Civil Defence said items such as doors, cladding, electrical cables, ducts and wireless alarm systems should be tested at the lab before being installed in towers and houses.

Brig Ali Hassan Al Mutawa, Dubai Civil Defence's assistant director general for fire and rescue affairs, said in a statement that the department met more than 150 suppliers and contractors to review the new requirements.

“Dubai Civil Defence aims to enhance the level of safety in addition to providing competitive prices to manufacturers and project owners,” said Brig Al Mutawa.

“Building materials such as fire-resistant doors, cladding, air ducts and wireless alarm systems should be evaluated and tested in the lab to get the certificate of compliance.”

The authority offered an example of safety testing protocols, citing its policy on fire-resistant cables.

Inspectors take three metres of cables from buildings and submit them to the government lab to be tested.

Dubai Civil Defence bears the cost of the test.

If the cables fail, the manufacturing company must pay for any subsequent tests needed to get approval.

UAE safety campaign

Outdated cladding — which causes fires to spread more quickly — and faulty wiring are common causes of building blazes.

The UAE, due to its large number of high-rise residential and commercial buildings, prioritises fire safety.

Sharjah will begin to remove flammable cladding from 40 high-risk buildings this week at a cost of Dh100m in the first stage of a major safety drive.

Authorities have identified 203 residential towers and commercial buildings, both private and government-owned, where flammable cladding is to be replaced.

New fire-resistant cladding reduces the risk of blazes spreading quickly and gives potentially life-saving additional time for emergency services to respond.

The campaign is being launched under the directive of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.

Aluminium composite-panel cladding was prohibited in the Emirates under the country's Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice, which was introduced in January 2017.

Further updates came into effect the following year.

New buildings must be fitted with advanced non-combustible cladding that stops the spread of flames and is more durable under intense heat.

It is not mandatory for buildings built before the new legislation was introduced.

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Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

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Norway

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Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

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Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

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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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Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

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Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

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Favourite vegetable: Broccoli

Favourite food: Seafood

Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange

Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania

Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.

Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes

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1,942 teams

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Russia v Sweden 10.45pm

Friday
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Croatia v England 10.45pm

Saturday
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Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi

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Green ambitions
  • Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
  • Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
  • Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
  • Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water 
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Updated: April 25, 2023, 12:44 PM`