An online system has just made it easier to obtain building permits in Abu Dhabi, and it is expected to greatly boost the construction sector in the emirate, senior municipal officials have said.
From this month, buildings that are authorised under this new system will also be more sustainable, and accessible for people with special needs, as they must follow the Abu Dhabi International Building Codes, Khalid Al Dahmani, head of the unified government platform at the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport (DMAT), told Gulf News.
“The Unified Government Platform for Building Permits has already streamlined the permit-issuing process, and it will soon ensure that all buildings in the emirate are sustainably built. So far, this kind of focus on sustainability has only been a mandate for government projects and master developments, but it will now become integral to all kinds of construction activity in Abu Dhabi,” Al Dahmani said.
“Abu Dhabi is growing at a tremendous pace, and that is why such a streamlined system that also prioritises universal accessibility, sustainability and fire safety in buildings is a must,” he added.
The unified platform was launched last November, and has facilitated the issuing of 1,590 building permits across the emirate till date, and 663 of these permits are for new buildings, and 927 of them are permits for modifying or extending existing building premises.
Statistics on the number permits issued during a similar interval in previous years were not immediately available, especially as these records are maintained separately by the emirate’s three different municipal bodies: the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain Municipality and the Western Region Municipality.
Al Dahmani explained that this is the kind of coordination the new system allows for. It also does away with the need to visit multiple government departments.
“In the past, one had to obtain documents and permits from the Civil Defence, the utility providers, the municipalities and the traffic authorities before applying for a new building permit. Our new system allows individuals and companies to submit all required documents online, and the permit is then issued within just 10 working days,” Al Dahmani said.
At present, the greatest volume of construction activity in the capital is geared towards Reem Island, Sowwah Island, Yas Isalam and Raha Beach, he added.
“There will also be great benefits to the building sector from applying the Abu Dhabi International Building Codes, as these have been designed keeping our local environmental conditions and challenges in mind,” Al Dahmani added.
As reported by Gulf News, the codes were first implemented across new government construction projects in 2011, and then became mandatory for master developments. Under these codes, buildings have to feature wheelchair access ramps, Braille encoding on all signs, and adequate fire safety measures, among a raft of other special construction requirements.