Construction Emaar restores 4,500 homes for free after April floods By Pramod Kumar July 12, 2024, 4:11 AM Reuters/Amr Alfiky Cars lie partially submerged at a residential complex following heavy rainfall in Dubai in April Emaar Properties, Dubai’s largest developer, has repaired more than 4,500 homes up to the end of June following the orders of the emirate’s Crown Prince to restore communities devastated by the April floods. The repairs were done free of cost to owners, the developer said in a statement. No other details were given on the cost incurred and the communities where the repairs were undertaken. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI delivered straight to your inbox every week The UAE experienced its heaviest rains in 75 years in April. The downpour turned main roads, particularly in Dubai, into waterways, leaving motorists stranded and causing widespread damage to commercial and residential properties. In June, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum approved an AED30 billion ($8 billion) stormwater management upgrade. The ambitious expansion of the emirate’s drainage system will provide a sevenfold increase in its capacity to handle rainwater, to more than 20 million cubic metres of water a day – the equivalent of emptying 5½ Olympic-sized swimming pools every minute. Forests in the desert: more than just a pipe dream Catastrophic floods are a wake-up call for insurers Heat-health warning system planned for Abu Dhabi Sheikh Hamdan also announced plans for an AED80 billion sewerage system as part of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. In April, the UAE’s president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ordered an urgent review of the country’s infrastructure following the flooding. Last month Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport issued a tender for studies to aid the city’s urban planning efforts, including infrastructure resilience during storms. The tender for consultancy services closed on July 4.