UAE rains: Some residents climb more than 2,000 stairs a day as elevators stop working – News

Indian expat SS* travels between his home and office several times a day due to the nature of his job. But the 61-year-old has been forced to walk up and down more than 2,000 stairs in his apartment building every day after the lifts stopped working following heavy rain in Sharjah over the weekend.

A resident of the new Zubaidi building on King Faisal Street, SS told Khaleej Times in an interview: “I go to the office in the morning and come back in the afternoon. Then I come back after a few hours and go home at night. I have to climb 350 stairs in each direction because the elevators don’t work. The company that manages the building is trying to pump water out of the flooded basement. Meanwhile, there is still water on the road and it smells bad.”

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When KT visited the site on Monday afternoon, the elevators in the two towers were still not operational and officials were attempting to pump water from the building’s basement. Although both the banks located on the ground floor and the apartments had electricity, the elevators were broken.

SS, a resident of the UAE for almost 35 years, hoped that the company managing the building would be able to resolve the issue soon as it has proven to be a big nuisance for tenants, especially those with physical ailments.

Jamal Abdul Nassir Street

During the visit, KT saw tenants leaving the building and complaining to administrative officials there who were trying to coordinate with Sharjah Municipality to arrange for trucks to remove water from the basement.

ZA*, an Arab citizen in her 40s who suffers from knee problems, also asked officials to speed up the process.

Al Khan sign

Unfortunately, two days after the rain, some areas in Al Khan an Al Majaz, Jamal Abdul Nasir and Al Wahda streets in front of Sharjah city center remain flooded on Monday afternoon.

The impact of the rains could be seen everywhere as residents navigated the flooded streets. A husband held his wife’s hand as he helped her cross the flooded Jamal Abdul Nassir Street. Drivers parked their cars as much as they could on pedestrian sidewalks and then used the front passenger-side door to exit or re-enter.

“My daughter had to miss class today (Monday) because she takes the bus to go to her school in Dubai, but the bus stop is flooded,” said Umm-e-Aiman, a resident of Al Majaz.

*Names withheld upon request

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