Rain in Dubai: The government’s impressive storm recovery initiatives!

Last week, the city faced the heaviest storm ever experienced in the UAE over the last 75 years.

Through this, there were severe flash floods, power outages, pipes bursting and all kinds of damage - the country is recovering from one of the toughest weather challenges seen in the UAE to date.

While authorities had urged all residents to stay home and maintain safety precautions due to flash flooding across the country - many residents have faced terrible damages and leakages in their homes and these damages are being assisted by the government in a new scheme.

Here’s everything you need to know…

Sheikh Hamdan’s efforts to storm recovery

After the flood, hope emerged quickly as H.H. Sheikh Hamdan, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council announced a crucial meeting that led to the implementation of a series of initiatives aimed at providing immediate relief and support to those impacted by the heavy rain.

This committee was formed to address the requests for assistance from affected citizens and residents. Additionally, Sheikh Hamdan also directed the Dubai Land Department and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) to collaborate closely with property developers to expedite the restoration in affected communities, while working closely with landlords and tenants.

What changes are being implemented?

Residential management companies and real estate developers were called to provide their services at no additional cost to tenants, including offering alternative housing, and developers offering free services to their property owners. Developers such as Emaar, Damac, and MAG are the first to offer free servicing, cleaning, and overall home maintenance to their property owners - including the regular maintenance of power, fire safety and alarm systems, ensuring the safety of both residents and property.

The developers will be working closely with local authorities to restore normalcy in the communities from the storm's impact, and will actively work on minimising disruptions for residents.

Additionally, the Central Bank of the UAE, other banks and insurance companies will be working with customers affected by the storm to defer personal and car loan repayments for six months. To make things easier, the Dubai Police and Roads Transport Authority (RTA) have also joined their forces in waiving off any fines incurred for drivers during April 16th.

Multiple restaurants and charity drives have also been distributing food within the affected communities, and home maintenance companies are conducting pest control in houses that were severely flooded for a fraction of the price.

Sheikh Hamdan personally is going to oversee the implementation of these response measures, commending the dedication of the teams on the ground. As a token of appreciation for their tireless efforts, he ordered salaries in April to be released early for various industries.

Impressive, right?

If you have faced any flood damage, or are looking for home maintenance services - get in touch with our in-house home maintenance experts here.