Emaar to restore fire-ravaged Address hotel

The Emaar Properties Chairman Mohamed Alabbar said the fire ravaged Address Downtown Dubai hotel will be restored to it all its glory, Khaleej Times reported.

In a statement issued late on Saturday evening, the chief thanked the leaders, the authorities, and the people of Dubai, as well as the guests, residents and staff of the hotel for the way they responded to the fire on the New Years' Eve.

His statement reportedly buried speculations about the future of the hotel building

"We develop our projects to the highest standards of quality and as per international best practices. The hotel is the flagship project of The Address Hotels + Resorts. It is a global landmark that has welcomed guests from all over the world," said Alabbar.

"It has set world-class benchmarks in the hospitality industry, and we are determined to restore it to all its glory, and even surpass the splendid architectural standards. Further timelines and plans will be shared as they are finalised."

The Emaar chief also lauded Dubai’s inherent strength and positivity that responded with swift, professional, calm to the fire incident.

"Within minutes of the incident, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Police, Dubai Ambulance Services, the RTA, Dubai Heath Authority and the all governmental authorities concerned, coordinated and responded with maximum efficiency.”

Alabbar also said the immediate priority was "ensuring the safety of our guests and colleagues, and we evacuated all of them safely in record time in a most orderly fashion. The authorities also ensured the safety of the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Downtown Dubai."

"All our guests and residents have been relocated across various Emaar and other hotels in the city. We have set up a dedicated team from different departments of Emaar to ensure that all requirements of our guests are being met immediately. We thank our guests for their understanding and patience.”

Khaleej Times