Abu Dhabi residents must apply for movement permit
Stepping out for non-essential reasons during sterilisation hours will attract fines
Abu Dhabi residents who need to step out of their houses to fetch essentials during the nightly hours of movement restrictions can apply for permits on the Abu Dhabi Police website.
In a tweet, the Abu Dhabi Media Office announced the availability of the permits on adpolice.gov.ae. The sterilisation programme will come into force at midnight today, and will extend till 5am every day.
A resident who applies for a permit must wait to receive a message from Abu Dhabi Police on whether the request for the permit has been approved or not. Once granted, the permit can be used to obtain essential grocery items or medicines.
Hefty fines will be imposed on all those who step out of their houses for non-essential reasons during the sterilisation hours.
Eid preparations
Meanwhile, preparations for Eid Al Adha are on in full swing across Abu Dhabi, with authorities ensuring that all facilities are in place to mark the blessed occasion this week.
Streets are being decked up with glittering light arrangements and slaughterhouses have prepped areas to welcome thousands of residents over the holidays. Street cleaning and food inspection operations are also in place for the Eid holidays.
Increased patrols
Abu Dhabi Police announced that patrols have been stepped up ahead of the break, including in areas where a large number of visitors are expected to gather, such as Eid prayer grounds, public parks, markets and commercial centres.
In a bid to ensure safe services during the Covid-19 pandemic, abattoirs in Abu Dhabi city have increased the amount of shaded parking spaces, announced the Department of Municipalities and Transport, which operates public slaughterhouses in the emirate.
Special market
This year, Abu Dhabi City Municipality has also set up a special market for sacrificial animals in its Al Wathba suburb, which runs until July 22.
The signs of approaching festivities are also clear on the emirate’s roads, many of which are lit with glittering ‘Eid Mubarak’ signs. Khaled Al Hammadi, director of marketing and corporate communications at the municipality, said: “The city looks entirely different [when the lights are installed], and they bring a lot of joy to residents.”