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- An apartment fire in Al Barsha Fire reinforces the need for Comprehensive Home Insurance
The recent building fire in Al Barsha reinforces the need for Comprehensive Home Insurance in the UAE
Fire fighters arrived in 5 minutes and the blaze was put out in under an hour with zero injuries. But what now for the many families whose homes are now uninhabitable?
Sadly, the building fire at Time Topaz Hotel Apartments in Al Barsha on the 30th December was not uncommon in the UAE. Last year Civil Defense attended over 2,473 significant reported fires across the country. And residential fires are growing in number, according the Ministry of Interior
Why do we have so many fires in the UAE?
While fires can have many triggers, what makes the Residential towers in the UAE so susceptible is the widespread use of flammable Aluminum cladding in buildings built before 2017. According to the Guardian newspaper over 30,000 buildings have cladding or paneling that safety experts have said accelerates the rapid spread of fires.
In fact, some buildings have caught fire more than once.
The most destructive apartment fires were at the unfortunately named Marina Torch in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Many tenants required temporary housing for several months. The cause? Likely a discarded cigarette. The good news is that each emirate is taking significant actions to mitigate these risks.
What can I do the reduce my risk?
But what does that mean for you as a landlord or a tenant? We spoke to Franck Heimberger, Head of Public Lines at GIG Insurance :
"The simple truth is that not enough people in the UAE have adequate home cover , which leaves them at risk of significant financial liabilities. Especially, if you need to find a new place to live. As a tenant, if by your negligence you cause a fire , you are liable .As a landlord if your tenant causes a fire which causes damage or god forbid Injury , you are liable too.”
For more information about the Home Insurance cover provided by GIG Insurance for Owners, Landlords and Tenants please visit our Home Insurance policy page or buy a policy here.
