All about the Dubai Municipality
The Dubai Municipality is one of the leading government organisations in the city that recently celebrated its 66th anniversary on February 28, 2020. The government entity has come a long way since it’s humble beginnings in the 1950s, when it was set up with a handful of staff designated to keeping the city clean and well maintained. To commemorate this historic occasion, Dubai Media published a video on the history of Dubai Municipality with the following message:
“On this day 66 years ago, the journey to success began in 1954 when Dubai Municipality was founded with seven employees who were given simple tasks related to the cleanliness of the city. In 2020, the municipality has become a leading centre of innovation and sustainability, providing services for the welfare of the community”
Here is all you need to know about Dubai Municipality.
A Brief History of the Municipality
Dubai Municipality started its operations back in 1954 with just seven employees. Three years later on 28 February 1957, a decree established a formalised structure for the municipality with a council consisting of 23 of the country’s traders and elders appointed to look after the urban planning and structure of Dubai.
Another major objective was to transform Dubai into a picturesque, green community, an impressive feat that the municipality has achieved to a remarkable extent.
In the same year, the Dubai Municipality’s offices were moved to the newly constructed Dubai Municipality Museum in Deira. The museum served as the municipality headquarters until 1964, when it was moved to a new building on Al Maktoum road. The museum building was then restored by the Architectural Heritage Department and was officially opened to the public in 2006.
His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum issued a decree in 1961 establishing the council overseeing the operations of the Dubai Municipality. This gave the newly formed entity independent authority to create and execute policies in accordance with the decree.
A subsequent decree was issued in 1974, and then again in 1980 when His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Municipality, established the Municipal Council with 32 members.
In the years that followed, the growth of the Dubai Municipality coincided with the growth of the city itself. The organisation grew to an impressive team of 13,000 employees working in dozens of departments under six sectors.
Dubai Municipality went digital in 2001, launching its e-government projects offering its services through the web portal.
With a vision of “creating an excellent city that provides the essence of success and comfort of living”, Dubai Municipality has won numerous regional and international awards for its services and initiatives. These include the 2006 Public Services Award from the United Nations as well as the Arab eContent 2005 Award.
Dubai Municipality Sectors and Services
There are 34 departments in Dubai Municipality operating under six sectors. These are:
- International Affairs & Partnership Sector
- General Support Sector
- Environment Health & Safety Control Sector
- Environmental & Public Health Services Sector
- Planning & Engineering Sector
- Corporate Support Sector
These sectors provide a comprehensive range of services that can be categorised as follows:
Planning, Infrastructure and Building
- Building permits
- Surveys
- Land planning, allocation and compensation
- Consultant/contractor/building materials suppliers services
- Drainage and irrigation
- Geospatial information
Business
- Licence and permit approvals for trade and advertising
- Product testing and lab services
- Veterinary services and general animal care
- Food services (including food testing)
- Commercial and residential fees
- Municipal markets services
Sustainability, Environment and Public
- Agricultural services
- Health and public safety
- Waste management
In addition to these services, Dubai Municipality also oversees pest control services and inspects and approves pest control services in Dubai.
Recreational Services
- Parks
- Beaches
- Wildlife Sanctuaries
Overall, Dubai Municipality offers urban planning and supervision of construction, conserves the environment, regulates and ensures international quality standards in construction and building materials, food and consumable items and laboratory certification and accreditation. You can learn more about each operation on the ‘Services’ page of the municipality website.
Public Places Managed by Dubai Municipality
Dubai Municipality manages several public places in the city that offers business and recreational services to both residents and tourists.
Markets
- Trucks and Heavy Equipment Market (Ruwayyah)
- Camel Market Lisaili
- Auto Market (Ras Al Khor)
- Al Fahidi Souk
- Cattle Market Al Qusais
- Dubai Center Fruit and Vegetable Market (Ras Al Khor)
- Falcon Center
- Fish Market Deira
- Hamriyah Center Market
- Hatta Market
- Rashidiya Center Market
- Traditional Market (Naif)
- Birds and Animals Market (Warsan 3)
Heritage Places
- DM Museum (Deira)
- Falcon and Heritage Sports Center (Nad Al Sheba)
- Saruq Al Hadid Archaeology Museum (Al Shindagha)
- Historical Documents Centre (Al Shindagha)
- Souq Al Kabeer (Meena Bazaar)
- Hatta Heritage Village
Parks
- Safa Park
- Mamzar Beach Park
- Mushrif Park
- Zabeel Park
- Creek Park
- Children City
Beaches
- Mamzar Beach
- Jumeirah Beach
The Dubai Municipality also manages Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary, also called the ‘Cape of the Creek’, features a variety of salt flats, mudflats, mangroves and lagoons spread over an area of 6.2 sq. km, but it is best known for its birdlife.
Dubai Municipality Centers
There are 4 Dubai Municipality centres in the emirate.
Al Manara Center
- Location: Al Manara Area, Al Safa 2 beside Noor Bank Metro Station
Al Twar Center
- Location: Al Twar Area, Al Nahda Road, Opposite Al Tawar Center, Next to Al Qusais Metro Station
Al KIFAF Center
- Location: Al Kifaf Area, near Al Jafiliya Metro Station
Hatta Center
- Location: Hatta Area, Dubai Hatta Road, Opposite Hatta Roundabout, Next to Emirates NBD Bank
Dubai Municipality Recycling Centers
In the past couple of years, the Dubai Municipality has done a lot to manage waste disposal in the city. They have placed several recycling centres in multiple locations across Dubai as part of the ‘My City My Environment program.’
These recycling centres or stations manage 18 kinds of materials that include paper, plastic, metal, glass, fabric, rubber, wood, leather and even electronic waste (mobile phones, dry batteries etc.)
These recycling centres are also designed to be ‘smart’, in that they use solar energy as well as LED lighting fixtures to preserve energy while improving efficiency. There is also a smart screen that displays messages on environmental awareness.
The recycling centres are also equipped with cameras, audio equipment and sensors that facilitate an efficient materials collection system. These centres operate 24 hours, seven days a week. You can find a complete list of recycling stations in Dubai on our blog.
How to contact Dubai Municipality?
You can contact Dubai Municipality on the following numbers: +971-4-221-555-5 and 800-900. You can also reach out to the Municipality on its official website and social media channels.
- Dubai Municipality Location: Building 20, Baniyas Road, Al Rigga Area, Deira
The Fares chatbot is available at all times on the DM website to address all your queries. In addition to this, you can also contact the organisation or avail its services digitally through its many smart applications:
- IDubai
- Parks and Beaches App
- Green Ticket App
- Najm Suhail
- Ramsatna
- Aleef App
- Makani App
- Kharetati App
- Montaji
- Dubai 24/7
- Dubai Coast
To sum up, Dubai Municipality is regarded as one of the largest state institutions in the world, considering the scope of its services and the number of projects it has completed successfully. The municipality continues to be a vehicle for the growth and development of Dubai.
Curious about other government departments in Dubai? Take a look at our guide to DLD or RTA for more insight on the leading government bodies in the UAE.
