Abu Dhabi City Municipality Combats Casual Barbecuing in Public Parks

The Abu Dhabi City Municipality (ADM) has run site tours to regulate barbecuing in gardens and landscapes, and brief visitors of the need to adhere to barbequing in designated places in permitted parks only. The move is part of the Municipality’s efforts to protect public health and safety and its commitment to providing a safe and comfortable living environment to the residents.

The Municipality campaign is based on Law No. (2) of 2012 on the preservation of public appearance, health and public tranquillity in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Accordingly, the Municipality distributed educative leaflets about applicable laws detailing general requirements for using parks including guidelines for barbecuing areas. This educative stuff also explains the negative effects of smoking Hookah (Shisha) on the public health and as such prohibited across Abu Dhabi parks.

The breaching of these laws will result in adverse effects and damage to public health and property, such as the outbreak of fire from the remnants of barbecue wastes, which are vulnerable to wind. Leftovers also lead to the spread of insects and unpleasant odours, resulting from throwing barbecue and food in non-designated places, besides distorting the aesthetic and urban appearance of the city. 

During the site tours carried out by municipal inspectors in parks and landscaped areas, verbal warnings were served to offenders to remove the leftovers of barbeque. Due to the failure of compliance, five offence tickets were issued under Article (34) of Law No (2) for 2012 that provides for a fine of AED1,000 in respect of any activity that blocks the use of public facilities through practising sport, barbequing and cycling. Article (35) of the same Law also provides for slapping an AED1,000 dirham to violators inflicting damage to green areas.

Parks and greeneries have been designed to be a health and safe havens for all community members. The Municipality is therefore keen on providing all means of comfort and entertainment to community members visiting these facilities. It is thus prohibited to smoke shisha and barbeque in some parks as there are designated parks where barbequing is permitted like the Airport Park, Family Park and Heritage Park.

The Municipality will continue and intensify field visits, especially during public holidays, to educate the public about the practices that have a negative impact on the environment and the community as a whole. It avails the opportunity to urge them to protect parks and greens, and avoid applicable offences.

The Municipality calls on the public to cooperate with its efforts and comply with the guidelines of various parks as they are intended to uphold the urbanised appearance of the compatible and match the international standards of safety.