DUBAI: Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum on Monday announced an $8 billion project for a stormwater runoff system.
The announcement comes two months after the UAE experienced an unprecedented deluge and widespread flooding.
Sheikh Mohammed announced the drainage network in a post on social media platform X saying will be completed by 2033 with construction set to begin immediately.
“It will cover all areas of Dubai and will absorb more than 20 million cubic meters of water per day,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
He said the project will increase the capacity of rainwater drainage in the UAE by 700 percent and boost the country’s readiness to face future climate problems. He said that the project would be the largest in the region.
Record rains in the UAE on April 16, caused flooding and turned streets into rivers. The situation worsened after a downpour, due to a lack of storm drains, causing delays at Dubai Airport, the world’s busiest for international travellers.
The rainfall was the UAE’s heaviest breaking 75 years record. Without proper drainage for excess water, authorities used trucks to pump up the water with giant hoses.
The World Weather Attribution group said global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions has exacerbated the intense rains that also hit Oman, where 21 people died.
The UAE government subsequently announced $544 million for the repair of homes of Emirati families affected by the flooding.
“We learned great lessons in dealing with severe rains,” said Sheikh Mohammed after a cabinet meeting in April.
