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Private companies will run public gardens in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI — Management of public gardens and landscaping in Abu Dhabi will soon be taken over by private companies. According to a senior official of Abu Dhabi Municipality, which currently runs the public recreational facilities in the emirate, 29 private firms have been prequalified to carry out the job.

"Privatisation of the public gardens sector in Abu Dhabi is progressing well as per the scheduled plan," said Eng. Faray Al Mazrouei, Director of Public Gardens Sections at Abu Dhabi Municipality, told Khaleej Times.

"Before the end of the year, private companies will take over operations concerning the establishment and management of public gardens, forests and landscaping in implementation of recommendations made by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council," he said.

A group of contractors and consultants had been prequalified in various specialisations of agriculture, irrigation, landscaping and husbandry of animals in forests like gazelles. They will also carry out operations and maintenance of these facilities.

"Around 29 companies have so far been prequalified which constituted the first tier and there were also international companies of different specialisations in addition to contractors," he explained.

Most of the 29 firms were made up of alliances of three or four companies from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt. Most of these companies have set up independent units in Abu Dhabi for this purpose.

According to him, these huge operations will be delivered to the private sector under strict guarantees to ensure successful management. On the current workforce, Al Mazrouei said the new companies would take them in at the same salaries paid by the municipality.

"The workers will be subject to a three months' probation after which the contractors will assess their performance with the aim of redundancy," he added.

He said that official policy affirms the need for raising and upgrading the services with sustainable development in gardens, and new housing complexes and towns under the implementation of the new plan which will take three to five years. "Abu Dhabi Municipality will draw and design plans and projects and take care of follow-ups, while private companies will execute them," he concluded.