It's our fault again.

We got it wrong again, causing ourselves unnecessary problems.

I can't believe how many times we get things wrong, misunderstand the facts, cause unnecessary problems for ourselves and others.

We caused problems for the RTA over Salik. We caused problems for the EIDA over the ID card.

Now we've misunderstood the 'One Villa - One Family' campaign.

We believed that 'one villa one family' meant, well, 'one villa one family'...but of course it didn't.

We misunderstood.

There is no "one villa, one family" rule in Dubai and the campaign against overcrowded villas has been misunderstood, a top civil official said on Sunday(February 1st).

In our defence I suppose our lack of understanding - and I know it's pushing the boundaries of credibility - but it just may have been based on the earlier official announcements and the facts on the ground.

The campaign was launched in April. By July there were reports that:

Families living in shared villa accommodations in the Jumeirah-1 and Abu Hail areas have been asked to vacate under Dubai Municipality's ongoing 'One Villa-One Family' campaign.

Since the launch of the campaign in April, almost 2,400 eviction notices have been served to families living in villas in the Rashidiya area, and water and electricity supply to 280 villas have been disconnected.

In September I reproduced a DM advertisement which clearly stated that within thirty days from that announcement it was obligatory to vacate multi-families.

And then on October 3, 2008:

The Municipality’s ‘One Villa, One Family’ campaign kicked off this week with inspectors combing through villas in Al Rashidiya area, an official said.

"We study every case individually. However, the rule we enforce is one family per villa.

"Family only refers to immediate family, as in father, mother, spouse, children, brother and sister. No uncles, cousins or in-laws."

He added that if the brother or sister of the resident was married and had his family living in the same house, then even that would be considered a violation of the law.

In November we read that:

Dubai Municipality is cutting power and water to as many as 200 villas a week in an attempt to evict people who are sharing homes, but some of the tenants are defying authorities and illegally reconnecting services, a senior official said yesterday.

I'm going to plead mitigating circumstances for my stupidity in thinking that this meant there was a rule that families cannot share accommodation.

You see, the campaign was entitled 'One Villa - One Family' and a senior official specified exactly how closely related family members needed to be to qualify. Services were cut off, people were evicted and fines up to Dh50,000 were imposed under the rule.

We stupidly misunderstood it all.

February 1st, 2009:

Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality said the municipality did not have any problem with more than one family living in a villa, provided it was big enough.

"The municipality has started a campaign against overcrowding in villas to ensure the safety and security of residents."


Now do you understand?



Families evicted.

Clarification of what a family means.

DM cuts off 200 villas a week.

There is no rule.