Dubai has unveiled an ambitious $8 billion plan to construct a comprehensive stormwater runoff system, just two months after a record deluge caused widespread flooding and paralyzed the desert city.
The network, set to be completed by 2033, will boost the city’s drainage capacity by 700%, significantly enhancing its ability to cope with future climate challenges. This announcement, made by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum on social media, comes in the wake of record rains that struck the UAE on April 16, resulting in devastating floods, loss of life, and disruption of daily life.