Five buildings in Sharjah have had their facades replaced with fire-resistant claddings as part of a major safety initiative. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, director of Technical Services at the Sharjah Municipality, announced that work is ongoing on additional buildings in the emirate.
The Dh100-million project, announced last year by the Ruler of Sharjah, is the first of its kind where the government covers the costs to enhance fire safety in existing buildings. In its first phase, the project targets 40 buildings with facades prone to fires.
“The project aims to protect tenants from the risk of fires by replacing aluminium panels with fire-safe materials,” Al Suwaidi said on the Direct Line programme.
Aluminium claddings are known to be fire-prone and can cause blazes to spread quickly. In response, the Sharjah Municipality banned the use of high-rise buildings in 2016.