UAE to provide OFWs, other workers with decent housing

MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of workers in Abu Dhabi, including Filipinos are expected to benefit from the construction of residential cities in that capital city of the United Arab Emirates. Online news site Khaleej Times on Tuesday reported that 40 percent of the cities’ facilities would be for low-income foreign workers. The project is set to be completed in 2010. The report quoted Shaikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, as saying that the residential cities would be comprised of single and double-bedroom housing units. Foreign and local technicians, supervisors, and engineers working in the industrial and construction sectors in the UAE will also benefit from the project, according to the chief. “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 laborers working in the United Arab Emirates," the Khaleej Times quoted the chief as saying. ZonesCorp CEO Jaber Hareb Al Khaili reportedly said these cities would be constructed according to international standards and specifications. He said the cities would be divided into permanent and temporary cities. Permanent cities will accommodate workers from the industrial sector, while temporary cities will house workers from the construction sector. The project's target is to accommodate up to 800,000 workers by the end of 2012, of which 270,000 will come from the low-income group. The cities will be electronically linked with the Ministry of Interior, Civil Defense, Armed Forces and Ministry of Health to deal with any emergency situations. The cities and complexes will be managed by either the investors themselves or by ZonesCorp. with its international consultants. President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan initiated the project with the help of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The launching of the project came on the heels of a massive crackdown on villas that allow families to live under one roof. Families do this to cut on the high cost of lodging in the oil-rich state. - MARK JOSEPH UBALDE, GMANews.TV