Warning issued after hundreds of complaints of people urinating in public

DUBAI // Hundreds of complaints from residents about people urinating on the walls of their villas prompted Dubai Municipality to remind the public that offenders will be fined if caught.

Seven hundred posters have been placed around areas of old Dubai after a string of complaints about urinating on and near people’s homes.

Abdul Majeed Saifaie, director of the municipality’s waste management department, said: “We launched a campaign to stop urinating in public places, and those who fail to abide by the rules will be fined.”

The fine for urinating in public is Dh500 and it is doubled to Dh1,000 if the offender is caught repeating the offence.

Mr Saifaie said that the law had been in force for a decade but not many people were aware of it.

The posters, which are in Arabic, English and Urdu, carry messages warning the public against uncivilised practices.

Mr Saifaie said: “This initiative is part of the municipality’s efforts to promote environmental and cultural awareness.

He added that the posters will remain on the walls.

“Most of people who urinate in public places are labourers,” he added

He added that this type of behaviour is always anti-social. Mr Saifaie said: “It has to be wrong in this day and age. There’s no reason for people to urinate in public places. Our aim behind this campaign is not to fine people. Residents should cooperate in keeping the city clean.”

Rama Saeed, a Lebanese expat living in Deira, said that urinating in public was unacceptable and that it had occurred in her building’s lift.

Mrs Saeed said that complains of people urinating in her building’s lift.

“I and other residents always complain about this uncivilised practice to the watchman,” Ms Saeed said, who thinks it is teenagers who are the culprits.

She said she believes teenagers and kids are urinating in the elevators and many of them are Arabs. “Our building’s owners need to place cameras in the elevators.”

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