Dubai to spend $11b on drainage after rains paralysed city

DUBAI - Dubai approved plans to develop a drainage network costing 30 billion dirhams (S$11 billion) after record rains in April flooded homes and highways, bringing the city to a near standstill.

The

heaviest downpour in the United Arab Emirates

(UAE) since records began in 1949 revealed the weaknesses in Dubai’s infrastructure and showed how unprepared it is for freak weather events. The flooding caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, destroying buildings and vehicles, while

disrupting businesses and flights

. 

The project will increase the capacity of rainwater drainage in the emirate by eightfold and improve the emirate’s readiness to face future climate challenges, Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said in a post on X to announce the plan. 

The system will be able to absorb as much as 20 million cubic metre of water per day from across Dubai. It will be built in stages, with the final completion slated for 2033, he said.

“The exceptional weather event that took place was good for us,” the city’s ruler said in a video released by Dubai’s media office.

“It taught us many lessons and helped us recognize where we need to improve readiness to be better prepared for the future.”

The deluge, which hit Oman as well as the UAE, killed at least two dozen people, many of them trapped or swept away in vehicles as the water rose rapidly. BLOOMBERG