Dubai’s ‘Desert Rose’ smart city given go-ahead

Dubai officials confirmed plans for a sustainable smart city, which will be known as Desert Rose. Dubai Municipality (DM) announced on Monday plans to build Desert Rose between Al Ruwaya and Al Aweer after it was given the green light by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai.

The project will be in the shape of a desert flower, “in different colours in sync with the desert environment as a symbol of sustainability,” said Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality.

The development, which will be largely residential, will depend on natural resources and sustainable energy, said the DM. An air-conditioned pedestrian path will work only during the hot months, and the city will include a green belt with environmental and economic benefits, used for agriculture.

The roofs of buildings will be covered in solar panels and the city will recycle over 40,000 cubic metres of waste water, the DM claimed.

The city centre will also have an electronic train track connected to the Dubai Metro.
“We do not have a time frame yet but the design and concept of the project is currently under study. It is a huge project that will be carried out in several stages, and we expect some of it to be completed in time for Expo 2020,” Dawood Al Hajiri, director of the Planning Department at Dubai Municipality, told Gulf News.

Source: www.opp-connect.com