By IPS Correspondents
DUBAI, May 23 2003 (IPS)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Dubai Municipality received the Arab Cities Award for city beautification during the 7th session of the award, in a ceremony held recently in Doha, Qatar.

During the occasion, the awards in the fields of greening and beautifying cities were distributed to other Arab cities, such as Sharjah City in UAE, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Benghazi in Libya, Amman in Jordan and Al Exandaria in Egypt.

Qasim Sultan, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said that the significance of the award is that it demonstrates the importance the Arab Cities Organization attaches to aesthetic aspects of the Arab cities on the one hand, and the support extended by the higher authorities on the other hand.

"The Municipality took special care to map out practical plans to make Dubai a beautiful city having the relevant amenities so that its residents find it enjoyable place to live in," Qasim Sultan stated.

He further added the beautification process covered major zones, pavements, underpasses and pedestrian crosses, using engineering designs and cultural forms that are consistent with local environment.

The Municipality, he added, has issued a number of legislations aimed at protecting the beautiful landmarks of the city.

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