Dubai residents complain about construction work at night

Limits on construction work at night are consistently being violated during Ramadan, residents in Dubai and Sharjah have complained.

The civic authorities had extended the night construction work timings by two hours to give relief to fasting workers during the religious period, but residents allege the extension is being misused.

Noise levels should not exceed 55 decibels in the day, and 45 decibels during the evening, but locals claim that construction companies have extended their working hours late into the night, ruining the peace required to meditate during the holy month.

“The situation is spinning out of control for us now,” Maria Shaukat, a resident of Sharjah told the Khaleej Times Online. “Each day there is the sound of grinding and sawing which continues from midnight to at least 4am. This is the time when we require peace to pray as well as catch up on sleep, but with this ongoing noise we can hardly manage both activities.”

Mohammed Salem bin Suwain Al Kaabi, head of the security department in Sharjah Municipality, said work hours on construction sites had been extended from 10pm to midnight to support Muslim labourers.

“Fasting makes it hard for the workers to complete work in harsh weather conditions during the day time, especially when they are laying the concrete foundations for the buildings,” said Mr Al Kaabi. “We truly understand the disturbance caused to tenants but we also empathise with the fasting labourers.”

Construction activity is usually only allowed until 10pm, but it was extended during Ramadan as people do not sleep before 2 or 3am, Mr Al Kaabi said.