By Staff Reporter
Five buildings in Sharjah have had their facades replaced with fire-resistant claddings. Khalifa Al Suwaidi, director of Technical Services at the Sharjah Municipality, said work is underway on other buildings as part of a massive replacement project in the emirate.
Announced last year by the Ruler of Sharjah, the Dh100-million project is the first of its kind in which the government foots the cost to make existing buildings fire-safe. In its first phase, it targets 40 buildings with facades that are prone to fires.
“The project aims to protect tenants from the risk of fires. It sees aluminium panels removed from the buildings and replaced with fire-safe materials,” the official said as he addressed the Direct Line programme.
Aluminium claddings are prone to fires and may cause a blaze that could spread within minutes. In 2016, the Sharjah Municipality had banned its use on high-rise buildings