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Fujairah to set up ice factory, offshore refuelling station

FUJAIRAH — His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, on Thursday ordered the bodies concerned at the local government to set up an ice factory in Al Rughailat locality to serve fishermen in Fujairah and the Eastern Region.

Shaikh Hamad also ordered the installation of an offshore petrol refuelling station within the fishing port of Merbeh which provides fishermen with hassle-free refueling of their boats.

Shaikh Hamad said those who take up fishing as a career represent an important category of the society and should be supported and cared for so that they could work without facing troubles.

“Fishermen in Fujairah and across the country offer the society an essential service by catching fish which is deemed a crucial food commodity in the country,” Shaikh Hamad noted.

Abdullah Al Dali, chairman of the Fujairah Fishermen’s Society, said the Ruler’s directives included the establishment of an ice factory which covers the whole emirate and Eastern Region.

The factory will produce up to 600 blocks of ice per day, he said.

The daily needs of Fujairah and the Eastern Region are just 100 blocks of ice in summer and 50 blocks in winter, while the remaining output will be distributed among ice dealers across the country, he said.

The final blueprint of the project is with the municipality right now. The work will start soon, he said, adding some officials will pay a visit to Egypt or India in the next few days to purchase the necessary equipment for the factory to get ready by the first quarter of next year. As many as 500 fishermen in Fujairah, Merbeh, Al Gariya and other areas in the emirate along with cities of Khorfakan, Kalba’a, Dibba Al Hisn, and Dibba Fujairah will benefit from the factory.

The ice that will be produced at the new factory will be cheaper than the market price by approximately Dh2.

One block of ice will cost Dh3, and each bag will contain two blocks to be sold for Dh6, apart from Dh1 more for the bag.

Al Dali said the offshore petrol refuelling station will be ready in nearly two months. Over 300 fishermen will benefit. It may be mentioned that Shaikh Hamad had ordered the installation of 80 canopies at both the fishing seaports of Merbeh and Fujairah as well as setting up a fish farm at the fishing seaport of Fujairah.

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