Flammable cladding on as many as 150 buildings in Sharjah will have to be replaced, after it was confirmed to be a major factor in a huge high-rise tower blaze last week.
Police and fire chiefs said widespread retrofitting would be necessary following the blaze in Abbco Tower on May 5.
A type of aluminium composite panel cladding that was widely used during the UAE's construction boom was a significant factor in the speed at which flames spread.
Maj Gen Saif Al Shamsi, head of Sharjah Police, said investigators were "90 per cent" sure the fire was caused by a cigarette butt or shisha coal left in a first floor corridor.
“The fire then spread to one of the apartments on the first floor and quickly spread onto the other floors due to the presence of cladding, which are flammable plates,” Maj Gen Al Shamsi said on Sunday.
He said about 100 of the 333 apartments in Abbco Tower have been inspected to date.
Of those, 26 were completely destroyed, 34 suffered smoke and water damage and 40 had damage to their doors. He said 33 vehicles on the street and inside the building suffered damage from flames and falling debris.
No blame or liability has been brought against anyone at this stage.
Maj Gen Al Shamsi said Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, had directed officials to review and replace aluminium composite panel cladding to ensure the safety of residents.
As The National reported last week, the 48-storey, 190-metre tower was constructed with a type of cladding that was banned on new builds nationwide in January 2017.
Builders must now use more expensive non-combustible cladding that better halts the spread of flames.
But the authorities have not until now ordered that older buildings be retrofitted.
Abbco Tower was built in 2005 and opened in 2006, long before the federal fire code was updated.
Colonel Sami Al Naqbi, head of Sharjah Civil Defence, said “a total of 150 old buildings have been listed, and the cladding will be removed".
He did not state how the work would be paid for but said "many owners have responded" already.
The cost stripping cladding from a building and replacing it would be in the millions of dirhams.
The reconstruction and removal of cladding at Dubai Marina's Zen Tower was estimated at Dh25 million, and the building is only 15-storeys high.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
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One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
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