Tall & Urban News

The initial phase of a Dh100 million safety drive by the Sharjah Municipality to remove fire-hazard cladding has started. The first building has now had the previous aluminum panels that were combustible, replaced with fire-resistant materials.  This first phase will address 40-high-risk designated buildings.  Authorities in April 2023 identified 203 residential towers and commercial buildings, both privately and government owned, where flammable building materials needed to be replaced.

The existing cladding of all the building will be replaced with fire-resistant materials to reduce the risk of fires spreading quickly and provide potentially life-saving additional time for emergency services to respond.  All buildings identified are over seven floors. This initiative was launched under the directives of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, in an effort to cut the number of building fires and protect the public. The key improvement works are being funded entirely by the Sharjah government, which aims to complete all the work by the second quarter of 2024.

Safety upgrades on the remaining 163 buildings will be carried out once the initial high-priority stage of this project is complete.

For more on this story go to The National News.