Introduction 

Infrastructure development in the UAE at federal and local level has been phenomenal in view of the relatively brief period since the country’s establishment. Modern cities have risen like phoenixes from the barren desert, connected by a vast network of first-class roads and linked to the outside world by modern airports and ports. Houses , schools, hospitals, shopping centers, telecommunications, electricity and water, luxury hotels and re c relational facilities have all been provided for the people in are markably short space of time. As the country enters the third millennium a process of consolidation is taking place, with the private sector taking more of an active role in infrastructure development.

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HOUSING

The Ministry of Public Works and Housing, which has been actively developing infrastructure in the UAE, is overseeing numerous projects throughout the country, including construction and maintenance of 13 mosques in Fujairah, 16 mosques in Sharjah, Umm al-Qaiwain Hospital, Fujairah Hospital, Saif bin Ghubash Hospital in Ras al-Khaimah, the Ministry  of Finance and Industry premises at Al Khubeira Palace in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Radio and TV building, the Health Care Center in Umm al-Qaiwain and three health care centers in Dubai. Twenty seven schools, three kindergartens and two mosques in Ajman are also being refurbished, in addition to four mosques in Ras al-Khaimah, two mosques in Umm al-Qaiwain, as well as annual maintenance works on buildings in all areas. Fifty-six projects are at the planning stage and 80 others under review.

ABU DHABI PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

A number of major infrastructure projects executed by Abu Dhabi’s Public Works Department have contributed enormously to the development of the UAE. These include the modern road network which links many parts of the country, bridges, housing, schools, institutes, mosques, hospitals, clinics, sports clubs, government departments, hotels and recreation facilities. All have been aimed at ensuring the comfort and welfare of the people. More building and services projects are planned in all parts of the country as part of the Department's efforts to implement an ambitious development programme. To date, the Department has embarked on projects totaling Dh 11,477 million, of which Dh 5,157 million has been spent on roads and bridges, Dh 1,150 million on seaports and excavation projects, Dh 5,100 million on government buildings and Dh 70 million on airport development. Projects totaling Dh 2,790 million were completed by the Department in 1998: Dh 4 million was spent on extending and renovating the VIP lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Dh 96 million was spent on seaports, excavation works and land cultivation projects, which include extension work on jetties at Al Jarf and Ras Sadr ports .

The Department also spent Dh 1,165 million on government buildings, including the construction of Abu Dhabi Women’s College, part of the Higher Colleges of Technology  ( H C T), as well as a number of schools and low-cost houses, villas for police officers, a new block for the Ministry of Health's Preventive Medicine Department, a public hospital in Medinat Zayed and the Al Mushrif premises of the UAE Women's Federation. The Department is currently undertaking a number of projects costing approximately Dh 8,687 million in various parts of Abu Dhabi emirate: Dh 3,636 million has been allocated for the construction of roads and bridges, Dh 66 million for airports, Dh 1,054 million for seaports, excavation works and land cultivation and Dh 3,937 million for government building  projects.

ABU DHABI MUNICIPALITY

Abu Dhabi Municipality and Town Planning Department has pre p a red the comprehensive development plan for Abu Dhabi emirate to be implemented by the year 2010, including a number of projects to be carried out in cooperation with the United Nations Development  Programme (UNDP). The plan, many aspects of which are starting to take shape, is designed to reduce pressure on the capital by developing and populating outlying areas. In recent years significant improvements have been made to the road network in and around Abu Dhabi to improve traffic flow. In particular major work on the Eastern Ring Road has now reached its final phase. Other major transportation projects completed in 1999 include the Dh 112 million new Al Maqta bridge, linking the island of Abu Dhabi to the mainland, at the end of July 1999 and completion of the beautification and expansion of Abu Dhabi Corniche at a cost of Dh 200 million. The municipality is also spending Dh 148 million on 27 other projects. These include construction of a branch of the Abu Dhabi Women's Association in Al Wathba and a large fruit, vegetable and fish market in Medinat Zayed. With regard to public health and environmental protection, the municipality implemented 14 projects at a total cost of Dh 938 million in 1998, while another 21 projects costing Dh 581 million are under construction.

As part of its beautification drive the municipality has demolished old areas and buildings in the city, having given adequate compensation to the owners. Around 1,350 houses are currently under construction in Al Rabha, Al Shahama, Al Samha, Al Wathba, Al Sila, Medinat Zayed and Liwa, and are scheduled to be distributed to citizens upon their completion. In the past the municipality has created 39 parks and built approximately 150 fountains in various parts of the emirate. A major focus of the municipality is the creation of a green belt around the city and the planting of roadside verges and parks with trees and flowers.

Major forestation and farming projects in the desert are also undertaken by the municipality.  (For more information see section on Agriculture and Fishing). As far as public transport is concerned, approximately 250 modern buses equipped with air conditioning have been placed at the service of 1.2 million commuters. To cater for the growing need for car parking facilities in the capital, the municipality is investing m o re than Dh 300 million in building four new underground car parks, taking the number of new car parks that the capital will have in the coming years to eight. The municipality's revenue from rents on industrial land, fees at abattoirs and entry fees at public gardens amounted to Dh 38.56 million in 1998.

INFRASTRUCTURE AT AL AIN

Al Ain is undergoing a major development of its infrastructure, including a Dh 220 million airport expansion project; the construction of a major hospital costing Dh 900 million, housing, tree planting and small farm projects. A luxury hotel is under construction and a second complex is planned. Other projects include a championship golf course, museum ( Dh 200 million), souq (Dh 70 million), an upgrade of the zoo (Dh 58.72 million for the first phase), veterinary hospital, redevelopment of the town center and leisure and recreation facilities. The private sector is also being invited to build and operate shopping malls.

HOUSING

The provision of adequate housing for nationals with the aim of enhancing social stability has been a focus of government policy since the establishment of the federation. The number of low-cost houses distributed to nationals in Abu Dhabi has climbed steadily throughout the 1990s. In 1991 some 18,652 homes were distributed; by 1997, the latest year for which statistics are available, the number had risen to 21,344. The Zayed Housing Programme, which has been allocated an annual budget of Dh 640 million, also aims to assist UAE nationals in acquiring suitable housing. The most significant part of Federal Decree No. 10 of 1999, which was issued by Sheikh Zayed, established a corporate body of ten members to be appointed by the Cabinet to oversee the provision of housing under the Zayed Housing Programme. The programme will allocate housing to nationals whose average monthly income is less than Dh 10,000. It will also give UAE nationals easy-term loans, not exceeding Dh 500,000, and payable within a period of 25 years. 

In June 1999 the federal Cabinet approved a memorandum from the Minister of Planning and the chairman of the Permanent Projects Committee for financing a Dh 22.9 million project for 50 housing units in Sharjah.

KHALIFA COMMITTEE

A Dh 6 billion construction plan for 438 commercial buildings in Abu Dhabi is also under way. The Department of Social Services and Commercial Buildings, otherwise known as the Khalifa Committee, is implementing the plan and has indicated that an additional 632 multi-million dirham projects are in the pipeline. Since the Committee’s inception, it has completed more than 6,000 projects throughout the capital at an estimated cost of Dh 26 billion. These include about 74,000 housing units. In 1998 the Department constructed 219 commercial buildings. The houses built by the Department are given to nationals t h rough an easy-loan scheme. The loans division of the Department has also advanced billions of dirhams to nationals to build houses as well as commercial buildings since 1990. 

One hundred and nine commercial buildings, comprising 3,176 residential units, were built during the first half of 1999 at a cost of Dh 983 million. Of these 65 buildings are in Abu Dhabi, 34 in Musaffah, eight in Al Ain and two in Bani Yas. Another project, comprising 46 commercial buildings, has been completed in Medinat Zayed at an estimated cost of Dh 53 million. The Department is working on 20 other major projects in various parts of Abu Dhabi. Work on 938 smaller projects is also in progress throughout the emirate – 548 in areas adjoining the capital, 25 in Al Ain, 273 in Mussafah, two in Al Shahama, five in Bani Yas, 46 in Medinat Zayed, 15 in Sila, 11 in Abu Rahma and 14 in Dalma. As a result of this activity rents have fallen significantly in the large number of high-rise buildings which have been built in Abu Dhabi.

DUBAI MUNICIPALITY