Lack of street lights and hospitals among issues raised by Emiratis in rural Ajman

Emiratis living in the low-rise villas that make up the towns of Al Muwaihat and Al Rawda in Ajman are frustrated at having to drive along crumbling, sandy roads and having to put up with flooding from burst wastewater pipes.

The lack of street lighting and unfinished roads worry residents of the Al Muwaihat area of Ajman. Pawan Singh / The National

AJMAN // A 20-minute drive from Ajman city, the rural landscape encompassing the towns of Al Muwaihat and Al Rawda, for all its picturesque, barren beauty, is still underdeveloped and lacks basic infrastructure such as streetlights and sewers, residents said.

Emiratis living in the low-rise villas that make up the two towns were frustrated at having to drive along crumbling, sandy roads and having to put up with flooding from burst wastewater pipes.

› Ahead of the FNC election day on October 3, The National's reporters are travelling across the seven emirates to speak to Emiratis and find out the issues that affect them – and what they expect from members of a new Federal National Council. Read them here.

“I’ve been living here for nine years, we don’t have proper roads, a sewage network, or Etisalat services,” said Amnah Salim, who called on Federal National Council candidates, if elected, to help to bring about improvements.

“I’m a working mother. I leave home by 7am and return around 5pm. Many days I came back to a home flooded by wastewater. It’s frustrating and honestly embarrassing when we have guests because of the awful smell,” said the 38-year-old.

“I call for female candidates if they win to consider our suffering, because a woman would relate to our problems. We want to see their achievements, not just hear their words of promise,” she said.

Some residents said they were keen to be involved in the elections, but were unsure how it would benefit them.

“I received a text message that I can vote, but I don’t know really if I will go, I don’t know the candidates and if they will actually do anything for us,” said Sawsan Al Saati, 42, who lives with her children and extended family in a large villa.

Fatmah Al Mahri, who recently graduated from Zayed University and is looking for a job, asked FNC candidates to work on creating green spaces in the area and to launch tourist projects.

“Also provide telecommunication services and internet,” she said.

Voting in the election would “help spread a culture of cooperation among the sons and daughters of the UAE to work for the best of our country under a wise and giving leadership,” said Ms Al Mahri.

Farther afield, in Al Manama, citizens had similar complaints, particularly about the lack of street lighting.

“If someone is walking or riding a bicycle, a motorist cannot see them,” said Saeed Al Bloushi, 38. “Before there was a lady walking on the street at night and a motorist ran over her because he did not see her.

“There is no bank in Al Manama and there is only one ATM and it always fails when we want to withdraw money, so we need to go to Al Dhaid.”

Aabed Mussa Saeed, 37, said the town was in urgent need of a hospital.

“We have a clinic which is open day and night, but there are no emergency and delivery departments and in emergency cases it is very difficult to drive to Al Dhaid Hospital or Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Ajman.

“There is a police station, but we need a traffic department where we can renew our registration and licence cards and pay fines instead of going to Ajman city, an hour away.”

It is a similar story in Masfout, an enclave of Ajman about 110 kilometres south of the city.

“A hospital was built two years ago but has not been opened yet. All citizens and residents in Masfout, Mazira and Al Khanfariya go to Hatta Hospital and rely on it for everything, even births,” said Saeed Al Badwawi.