Dubai’s Pets Hotel for four-legged guests to open in March 2014

Going on a vacation and don’t know what to do with your favourite Chihuahua? Look no further - Dubai Municipality’s new Dh54 million Birds and Pets Market, which includes a hotel for pets, will be ready by March 2014, the civic body said in a media statement.

The air-conditioned pets hotel will host four-legged guests sans their owners, who may be on vacation or away from the country, the statement said. The hotel will be feature dressing and grooming rooms for the animals besides offering a host of other facilities like online monitoring of hotel guests by their owners, therapy sessions, laundry services, playgrounds, supervisors and vets.

Having reviewed the progress of project recently, Eng. Hussain Nassir Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, confirmed that the project, located in Al Warsan 3 area, will be ready in the first quarter of 2014.

Lootah said that the project has been almost executed and expected to be opened by March 2014 after the final finishing works. The Dh54.1 million project in 50 hector includes nine main buildings encompassing an administration block in 695 m2, a block for auctions in 960 m2, clinic bloc in 418 m2 , health quarry in 359 m2, labor accommodation containing 94 rooms for 282 persons, pets’ hotel in 835 m2 in addition to the basic facilities.

The new project is triple in size comparing to the current domestic animal market. He also said that the project has been established after a thorough study about the circumstances and requirements of a domestic animal market in Dubai and after taking the opinion of traders as it has positive impact on their profession considering the availability of related services such as specialized clinics, places for selling accessories, food and auction.

Khalifa Hareb, Director of Assets Management, said: “The air-conditioned pets hotel is designed to host four-legged guests while their owners on vacation or away from the country, which will have dressing and grooming rooms, therapy sessions, laundry services, playgrounds, supervisors and vets.

“Pet owners would be able to monitor the hotel guests online. The hotel will be based on a ground-level floor, with doors in dog rooms that will allow them to step out into a spacious area. The hotel which has 30 independent rooms can accommodate 50 dogs at a time,” Hareb said.

He said the new market would have a positive impact on business considering the availability of services such as specialized clinics, places for selling accessories, food and auctions.

“We hope that the project will boost both the trade and tourism in the shade of a new sophisticated bird market in Dubai,” he added.

According to a survey by Assets Management Department, 44 per cent of the traders in the local pets and birds market are Emiratis, followed by Indians, who represent above 25 per cent of the traders. Pakistanis come next with 19 per cent, and other nationalities 11 per cent.

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