The Big Boss saves the beach.

Excellent news for beachlovers and for Dubai's future tourism targets.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid has instructed Dubai Municipality to stop the construction work on Umm Suqeim beach immediately and remove the construction fence which cordons off the beach for the planned project. The beach should be left open for the public, the municipality was told.

This is the beach that would have been lost:



What may be surprising to many is that the project has been stopped in spite of the development company having as a co-director and major shareholder Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid.

Wasta has not stood in the way of a sensible decision. And, not for the first time, Sheikh Mohammed has demonstrated that Dubai is fortunate to have him as Ruler.

Irresponsible reporting - again.

I have to say, yet again, that Emirates Today has stayed at the bottom of the barrel with its mis-reporting of the story.

I complained earlier that they reported this development incorrectly, didn't bother to check their 'facts' and mislead their readers. They continue to do it with this new report.

They repeat: "Instructions to tear down the fencing work on the popular beach, extending from Burj Al Arab to Port Rashid..." It does NOT extend to Port Rashid, that's 20 kilometres away in the heart of Dubai city! It extends to Umm Suqeim Fishing Port, a length of about 600 metres.

The development was announced as being 4.5 million square feet, including new offshore areas. If it extended to Port Rashid it would be a thin strip development 20 kilometres long and 20 metres (65 feet) wide! Hardly likely is it.

Why don't they check their facts rather than mislead their readers? It's not difficult to do.


Gulf News has a report here.

Emirates Today story, complete with mis-reporting, is here.

Scroll down for my earlier postings on the two subjects.