More than 6,000 single men evicted from family areas in Sharjah

Electricity and water supply cut off for people who shared houses in nine neighbourhoods in the emirate

The Qadisiya area of Sharjah has many older buildings.

Shamshu Deen, from Afghanistan, is owner of Al Sharqan bakery in the Qadisiya area of Sharjah.

The Qadisiya area of Sharjah, where government officials will look at the prevalence of single men following complaints about unruly behaviour from nearby families. All photos Pawan Singh / The National

The Qadisiya area of Sharjah, where government officials will look at the prevalence of single men following complaints about unruly behaviour from nearby families.

The Qadisiya area of Sharjah, where government officials will look at the prevalence of single men following complaints about unruly behaviour from nearby families.

Khayber Khan, a taxi driver from Pakistan who lives in Qadisiya.

A boy pictured outside his home in Qadisiya on Monday.

The Qadisiya area of Sharjah, where government officials will look at the prevalence of single men following complaints about unruly behaviour from nearby families.

Khayber Khan, from Pakistan, who works as a taxi driver in Al Qadisiya in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

Children walk through the streets in the Qadisiya area of Sharjah.

People go about their daily routine in the Qadisiya area of Sharjah.

More than 6,000 single men, labourers and illegal tenants were evicted from nine family neighbourhoods in Sharjah last month.

Authorities began inspections on September 27 to evict single men from family neighbourhoods after an Emirati woman complained about male workers living in overcrowded homes in the Al Qadisiya area.

“So far, we carried out 1,636 inspections and removed 6,561 single men and illegal tenants from nine family districts in the emirate including Maysaloon, Al Qadisiya, and Al Nasserya,” said Thabet Al Traifi, head of Sharjah Municipality.

Municipality inspectors, police officers, officials of the Civil Defence and Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority carried out door-to-door checks.

Electricity and water supply was cut off for people who shared houses.

“Our visits found that some homes were turned into car repair workshops and warehouses to store foodstuffs and electrical materials,” he said.

Mr Al Traifi said inspections will continue to cover all family areas in the emirate.

He urged the public to report illegal tenants in family neighbourhoods by calling 993.