Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed opens new pond park at Al Barsha

30th Plantation Week launched

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed opens new pond park at Al Barsha

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council on Sunday launched the 30th Plantation Week activities by opening the newly built Pond Park at Al Barsha. The Plantation Week activities will last until 11th March.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airlines and President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Lt. Col. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, Obeid Bin Essa Ahmed, CEO, Municipalities Affairs Office in the Ministry of Environment and Water, Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality and many senior officials of Dubai Municipality and the UAE Municipalities Federation.

Eng. Salah Amiri, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Environment and Public Health Services Sector said the Municipality has organized a series of exciting events on the occasion of the 30th Plantation Week, including the opening of eight public parks throughout the next few days.

"Four of these parks are pond parks, a first of its kind public parks, which have been implemented by Dubai Municipality in the Emirate of Dubai. Dubai Municipality has set up pond parks at Al Nahda, Al Barsha, Al Quoz and Al Qusais-3," said Amiri, adding that other four parks will be residential parks or neighbourhood parks.

Two of these pond parks, Al Nahda and Al Quoz will be inaugurated today (Monday) by Lt. Col. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police and Mohammed AbdulKarim Julfar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Corporate Support Services respectively.

On Tuesday, two other parks, Al Qusais-3 Pond Park and New Garhoud Park will be inaugurated by Abdullah Rafea, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for General Support Services Sector and Obaid Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General for International Affairs and Partnerships respectively.

Wednesday will see the inauguration of two parks. Qusais Residential Park will be inaugurated by Essa Al Maidour, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Engineering and Planning Sector and Al Wuheida School Park will be opened by Salem Bin Mesmar, Assistant Director General for Health, Safety and Environment Monitoring Sector.

Ahmed AbdulKarim, Director of Public Parks and Horticulture Department said the Barsha Pond Park is considered to be one of the entertainment projects of technical excellence which has been carried out according to the global best practices in the establishment of public parks.

He said the park is built at a cost of Dhs22 million at a total area of about 5.25 hectares.

"The park is characterized with a large water area as the total area of the pond stretches to 84,150 square metres (4.8 hectares), which represents 33% of the total area of the park," said AbdulKarim.

Photo: Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum launches the activities of the 30th Plantation Week by opening the newly built Pond Park at Al Barsha on Sunday.