Dubai Municipality's Waste and Sewerage Agency has unveiled a new plan to manage the impact of heavy rainfall across the emirate, announced on October 22. Under the plan, 10 temporary water-collection lakes have been created at strategic locations to capture surface runoff and ease pressure on the city's main drainage networks.
Officials said a 675-person response team, made up of engineers, supervisors, administrative staff, drivers and field workers, will remain on standby around the clock to handle any weather-related emergencies. The team will also carry out continuous monitoring and preventive maintenance of drainage infrastructure to reduce the risk of waterlogging on roads.
Eng Adel Mohammed Al Marzouqi, chief executive of the Waste and Sewerage Agency, said the authority's priority is to keep infrastructure and emergency resources ready to respond effectively to changing weather conditions. He added that the agency tracks weather forecasts continuously so that resources can be redirected quickly to the areas most at risk.
The initiative forms part of a wider Dh30 billion infrastructure programme designed to increase Dubai's rainwater drainage capacity sevenfold over the next century. The UAE's National Centre of Meteorology has forecast the possibility of convective cloud formation and rainfall during afternoon hours over the coming days. Local authorities have urged residents to avoid low-lying roads and flood-prone areas whenever heavy rain is expected, as part of broader efforts to minimise disruption from seasonal storms.