Cafes, restaurants, children’s play areas; and honey shops, local products and souvenirs will emerge around the project
Dubai authorities have shared new images of the upcoming waterfalls in Hatta, and the project looks impressive. Renderings show blue water from the waterfall meandering down a channel to a fountain at the other end. A carpet of green grass and trees covers the rugged brown terrain of the mountain enclave. It also features a Hollywood-style Hatta mountain sign, the second in the area, with the other on the highest peak.
The design of the Dh46 million Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls project is inspired by the hexagonal beehive, a nod to Hatta’s famous honey. The four oases of the project are connected by bridges that cross the water channel.
The project will use the slope of the upper Hatta Dam to create a natural waterfall. A waterway will be built under the dam. The water that gushes down the fall will collect at the end of the stream, be recycled and pumped back up the dam.
The water channel flows into a lake that forms a diverse biological ecosystem and favors a balanced natural aquatic life. A children’s play area intersects with the three oases designated for cafes and restaurants, allowing guardians to supervise them.
The project is close to the area that houses an 80 x 30m mural of the founding fathers of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Cafes, restaurants, children’s play areas; and shops selling honey, local products and souvenirs will spring up around the falls. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) will offer the retail shops within the Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls project free of charge to UAE nationals in the mountain enclave.
This is a grant from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, to create additional employment opportunities for citizens.
“Using state-of-the-art technology and taking into account the unique geology of the Hatta region, we are implementing the waterfall projects in accordance with the highest international environmental standards. Our goal is to preserve the Hatta Mountain Reserve and harmonize the project with its surroundings… to provide a unique experience for UAE tourists and showcase the beauty of the mountainous regions of the UAE,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa.
“The project aims to create a sustainable natural environment, in addition to developing the area and turning it into recreational spaces and tourist attractions. The idea started with the establishment of a natural stream of water from the waterfall that fits with the nature of Hatta, to form green spaces around. These divide the project into four main oases that offer investment opportunities for businesses.”
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