Mega Dubai drainage project gets approval

Project will serve Al Maktoum Airport, Expo 2020 area and nearby developments

Dubai is set to begin the construction of its mega drainage system dubbed ‘the project of the century’, with the first stage of it getting a go-ahead.

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, has approved Dh1.3 billion for the implementation of the first stage of this rainwater and groundwater drainage project that will be equivalent to the total area of Deira, said Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality.

The project will serve Al Maktoum Airport area, the Expo 2020 area and the nearby urban complexes covering 400 square kilometres.

Lootah added that the second phase of the project is under consideration for approval, which will raise the total cost of the project to Dh2.5 billion.

“The project involves collecting and transporting of rain and groundwater through underground tunnels into the Gulf waters for disposal as a long-term solution to tackle the issue of rainwater drainage for the 100 years to come,” he said.

Talib Julfar, assistant director general of the Municipality for Environment and Public Health Services Sector, expressed his great pleasure in launching this mega project in conjunction with the opening of Expo 2020, which confirms that there is a creative vision and a qualitative development in the Middle East, especially that this project will benefit Dubai for 100 years without maintenance.

Mohammad Ahmad Al Rayes, acting director of Sewage and Irrigation Department, said the rainwater drainage system will be able to discharge 6 million cubic metres of water, equivalent to 2,600 Olympic swimming pools, at a rate of one minute to complete pumping of one of these pools.