Homes For 400,000

A massive project for building modern labour residential cities in Abu Dhabi will provide housing for over 400,000 workers by 2010. Over 40 per cent of the project, which is already under way, will create housing and other utilities for foreign workers with limited income. Shaikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court and Chairman of the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones (ZonesCorp), said the Abu Dhabi government's initiative to construct residential cities for foreign workers fulfils a noble mission. The government's decision also mirrors the sublime human values upheld by the prudent leaders of the country, Shaikh Hamed added. The construction of these cities reflects the keenness of the government to respect international laws that call for providing decent living conditions for all types of workers and labourers working in the UAE, Shaikh Hamed said. The initiative comes as per the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and active follow-up from General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The capacity of these cities will be around 400,000 workers by the end of 2010 and nearly half of them will give housing for limited-income workers. The cities will comprise single- and double-bedroom housing units to accommodate workers, technicians, supervisors and engineers working in the industrial and construction sectors in the emirate, Shaikh Hamed said in a statement. ZonesCorp CEO Jaber Hareb Al Khaili said these cities would be constructed according to the international standards and specifications and would be model residential cities with residential units, recreational areas, restaurants, health clinics, public areas and parks, and mosques. They would have all necessary services and utilities within the locality such as offices issuing visas, labour cards and driving licences, health insurance services, entertainment and recreational services.

According to Al Khaili, the cities would be divided into permanent cities to accommodate workers of the industrial sector and temporary cities to accommodate workers of the construction sector. According to ZonesCorp's five-year plan (2008-2012), these cities will accommodate around 800,000 workers by the end of 2012, of which 270,000 will be limited-income workers. He added that ZonesCorp is about to acquire new plots of land for constructing new residential cities for workers and labourers through private investments. By doing so, Abu Dhabi would be one of the leading destinations worldwide in providing high standards of housing for limited-income workers and labourers. As they would be administered by the government, rental prices in these cities would be competitive, Al Khaili affirmed.The cities would be electronically linked with the Ministry of Interior, Civil Defence, Armed Forces and Ministry of Health to deal with any emergency situations. According to the conditions set by ZonesCorp, the cities and complexes would be managed by either the investors themselves or by ConesCorp which would use specialised international consultants to run and manage them.