Dh3,000 Dubai penalty for pools without lifeguards

Dh3,000 Dubai penalty for pools without lifeguards

DM guideline stresses the importance of a qualified lifeguard at every residential building pool

By Sneha May Francis source:

Published Saturday, November 01, 2014

While some building owners hire lifeguards, others let watchman man the pool (Sneha May Francis)

Most Dubai residential complexes boast a swimming pool but how many are supervised by a qualified lifeguard? Not many.

And this, despite the law clearly stating that a lifeguard must be stationed at the swimming pool in a residential building.

While some building owners hire lifeguards, others ignore these basic safety guidelines and let their building watchman man the pool.

Talking to ‘Emirates24|7’, Sultan Essa Al Suwaidi, head of public safety at the Dubai Municipality, said overlooking this rule could cost the land owner. “If the swimming pool is not guarded by an approved life guard then the building owner can be penalized with a fine of Dh3,000.”

That’s only for first-time offenders. “If they continue to flout the rules then the penalty can be increased, and, if the case demands then we could even order the closure of the pool.”


In fact, Sultan stressed that the need for a lifeguard is outlined when the blueprint of the building goes in for approval.

“Even during the stages of getting a building blueprint approved, a swimming pool drawing will show an allotted marking for a lifeguard. Without this no building will get an approval.”

Sultan explained that a watchman can’t double up as a lifeguard. “The skills for each job is different. One man can’t do both. The lifeguard must be qualified to his duty.”

Many residential buildings in Dubai blatantly ignore this rule.

“There’s no one monitoring our building swimming pool. The watchman used to keep it under lock and key, but now leaves it open. He’s never around, and I often spot young kids playing in the pool without any adult supervision,” stated a resident in Bur Dubai.

“There are no floats or other safety equipment around either,” added another. “There is a board that states many rules, but there’s no lifeguard around.”

Another resident complained about how children are left unsupervised in the pool. “I see them diving into the pool. Some don't even know how to swim but jump in just to have fun. It’s scary,” reported a resident of Al Nahda.

Some watchmen who spoke to this website even confessed not knowing how to swim. “I’ve been asked to go there and check once in a while, so I do it,” said one of them.