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Al Aweer vegetable market ready

Dubai Municipality has started preparations for shifting the Central Fruits and Vegetable Market to the newly built premises in Al Aweer area

It was stated by Humaid Saeed Al Marri, Director of Markets and Abattoirs Department, who said that the market buildings are expected to be handed over to the department by the end of May later this year.

Commenting that the final date for shifting is not yet fixed, Mr Marri said, "We want to move the whole market together and do not want to open the market partly. Both the retail and wholesale sections would be shifted together and we are thinking of opening the market during the summer, when most people would be away on vacation and the public will be least affected by the shifting," Mr Marri said.

"In the meantime, we are sending letters to the traders in the existing market in Hamriya on the allocation of shops in the new market," Mr Marri said adding that the same numbers would be given to shops in the new market as they have now. "We are also giving four options for the traders regarding the specifications for decoration of the retail shops including shops with chillers, offices on top, toilet and kitchen or just painted shops," he said.

He said the retail shops would be rented to the companies which are already operating in the Hamriya market. Giving details of the facilities in the new market he said, "There would be poultry shops, egg shops and fish stalls, which would be allotted to the companies currently operating in the Hamriya market," and added that the Union Co-operative Society would also have an outlet in the market, the building for which, he said, would probably be ready even before the opening of the market.

Mr Marri said there would be three yards for selling fresh products of fruits and vegetable for the farmers. "One yard would be reserved for locally produced fruits and vegetables, the second yard for Iranian, Pakistani and Indian products and the third one for general items," he said. The new market would also have a mosque with a capacity of accommodating 1200 people, and it is expected to be ready by July this year, he said.

"We are assessing plans to allocate an onion storage facility for the onion traders. In addition to this, there would be 20 workshops for repairing all types of vehicles such as pick ups, trailers, and those with chillers," Mr Marri said.

He said all the traders would be given letters to move to the new market together. "We have already sent letters to these traders asking them to complete the decoration work in three months' time," Mr Marri said.

"We are also going to allocate 20 chillers for fruits and vegetables, while there would also be two restaurants and three cafeterias in the market, managed by the same people who are operating in the existing market," he said. Mr Marri added that an agreement with ENOC has been signed to set up two petrol and diesel stations in the market.