The Magazine of Dubai Women's College Volume 16 Issue 2, May ...

lived by trading in fish and pearls. In the past,
only small dhows were able to enter the Creek.
The bigger vessels had to unload goods into
small boats at the entrance of the Creek. In
the late 1950s, the Creek, the city’s lifeline for
trade, was beginning to silt, and the currents
that swept along the Gulf coast were piling
sandbars across its mouth. The late Sheikh
Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum allocated US$
960,000 to dredge the waterway and build
breakwaters at its mouth.
The expansion of the waterway helped
increase the shipping movement and enabled
ships of a capacity of 500 tones to safely enter
the Creek. The Creek now is 14 Kms long and
it has eight docks that accommodate more
than 30 ships. It witnesses the passage of more
than 700,000 tons of cargo annually although
till now only wooden ships are allowed to enter
the Creek to keep its traditional feature.
According to datadubai.com, “Countries which
depend on the Creek for their trade with Dubai
are the Arabian Gulf states, Iraq, Iran, Yemen,
Somalia and India.” At the present time, Dubai
Creek is not only a commercial water passage,
but also a major attraction for tourists and
residents of Dubai. The Abras, small wooden
boats, ferry tourists and residents between
Deira and Bur Dubai. They are considered
the cheapest and fastest mode of transport
in Dubai.
Eco-friendly Abras:
As a natural resource and a central hub,
the Creek faces several challenges that stand
in the face of development. One of the major
challenges is air and noise pollution caused
by diesel-run abras. There are 149 abras currently
operating in the Creek carrying an average of
20 million passengers a year. According
to Dubai Municipality, there has been a sharp
increase in abra users in the last ten years. In
2006, more than 21.2 million residents and
visitors used the abras to commute between
Deira and Bur Dubai. A number of studies
have been conducted recently to examine the
possibility of running the abras on solar power,
a source of energy that is eco-friendly since
it minimizes pollution.
Eco-friendly Abras will soon be in operation
Ahmad Mohammed Al Hammadi, Director
of Marine Operation and Transport Department,
says, “We have tested the solar power engine
on one of the abras. The results were positive
and we started to build research based on this.
Every abra will cost up to Dhs100,000, but
the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will
not be able to finance the 149 abras, which are
individually owned. The abra’s owners are still
reluctant to pay Dhs100,000 to make their
abras eco-friendly ones.”
Adding to this, Ahmad says that the RTA
is looking at other alternatives, which are being
examined. Among the proposed solutions
is using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
“If we succeed, then this plan will come into
effect as soon as possible. Yet, the Solar Power
remains our first option.”
The RTA signed an agreement with Emirates
National Oil Company (ENOC) for testing
abras to ensure that they meet specified
global standards and conditions on engine
exhausts. According to the agreement,
ENOC conducts annual tests of the engines
and overall condition of all abras. The tests
ensure the emission levels of gases like nitrogen
dioxide, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons
meet environmental safety standards.
photo by Shaikha Bukhashem
Due to the
busy movement
in the Creek,
Dubai
Municipality
has intensified
the cleaning
process using
marine trash
skimmers,
which regularly
patrol Dubai
Creek, says
Ayman
Mahmoud
Sulaiman,
a Marine
Pollution officer
at Dubai
Municipality.