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Old Fish Market in capital demolished

ABU DHABI — As part of a modernisation plan under which a number of landmarks are set to disappear and new ones to come up in the capital city, the Department of Municipalities and Agriculture (Abu Dhabi Municipality) has concluded the demolition the Old Fish Market, which has started since October 2005.

The Abu Dhabi Municipality has accomplished eliminating the debris of the old market so as to be ready to reinvest this plot which lies in the centre of the city and has been a landmark in the city for years.

Speaking to ‘Khaleej Times’, engineer Fatima Obeid Al Jabir, the municipality’s Under-secretary of Buildings and Technical Services of Abu Dhabi Municipality said that the location of the new market was granted to one of the investors to rebuild it in a modern style, adding that the preparations and designs of the project have already begun in order to be carried out. The new market will include a modern market for vegetables and fruits, a shopping mall, and a well-designed hypermarket, she added. She stated that the new market provides vital services to the customers, such as parking and garages, in order to ensure smooth traffic movement, adding: “The old problems we faced before while constructing markets will be avoided, like the area and the market designs. The new market will also conserve the aesthetic appearance of Abu Dhabi.”

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the Abu Dhabi Municipality revealed that there are two options to set up new markets; the first one is that the markets are to be built by the Department of Municipalities and Agriculture and allow licenced investment establishments run them against an annual fee, as is the case in the Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre or to apply another option in which investment firms can be responsible for constructing these markets and running them for a limited period of time.

As for the second option, Engineer Fatima said that the the Department of Municipalities and Agriculture, on behalf of the landlords, can build markets and then rent them out via specialised establishments, which should pay a portion of the money to the landlords of shops, and another portion to be paid to the Department of Municipalities and Agriculture till the cost of constructing the markets is completely paid.

Meanwhile, Engineer Fatima Al Jabir, Fery Al Mazrouie, Director of the Department of Public Parks; and Ibrahim Al Abdoul, Director of Public Relations Department, honoured the participants in several events organised by the department recently, including Construction and Reconstruction Exhibition, the Real Estates Forum, and the Environment, Water and Energy Exhibition, held in Abu Dhabi.