DUBAI // The municipality will carry out its own investigation into the blaze that gutted Tamweel Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers - but not in an official capacity.
Marwan Al Mohammed, the head of engineering supervision at the building department, said because it had no authority over free zones any findings would be filed in the municipality archive.
"Nobody has requested us to investigate the fire and we have no jurisdiction in free zones," Mr Al Mohammed said. "But since we were called to the scene of the incident by the Civil Defence control room it is our procedure to file a report."
The municipality's inspectors have not yet entered the 34-floor tower.
Blazing chunks of aluminium cladding were seen falling from the building.
Dubai Municipality has listed this type of cladding as a highly restricted material, requiring approvals from it and Civil Defence, and several inspections during installation.
"We have strict procedures on the installation of such materials, which focus on thermal insulation and fire safety," said Mr Al Mohammed.
"These procedures are approved by the municipality and the Civil Defence. We will be calling on the contractor and consultant of the building to see how they installed the cladding."
He said that even if the installation was not in compliance with the municipality's procedures, there might be nothing officials can do.
"We are not the regulating authority and we are not aware what rules and regulations the Jumeirah Lakes Towers [JLT] regulating authority has in place," Mr Al Mohammed said.
"So hypothetically, if the regulations do not enforce the correct procedures how can we hold the contractor or consultant accountable?"
JLT falls within the authority of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Free Zone. The law regarding free zones states the authority is granted ownership of, and jurisdiction to develop, manage and govern its area.
This means it is the only authority in charge of issuing permits, implementing and enforcing building and construction regulations, inspecting projects and enforcing health and safety regulations within the free zone.
Therefore, the authority overrides government sectors within the free-zone area, with the exception of Dubai Police and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.
Although the municipality's report on the incident has not been requested, it will be available to legal authorities should they ask for it.
malkhan@thenational.ae
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
