More than 700 old and abandoned buildings were demolished across Abu Dhabi last year as part of efforts to improve the image of the city. Abu Dhabi Municipality said the 728 derelict buildings were spread across the emirate and included residences as well as shops. It called on building owners to ensure their properties were well maintained to avoid potential demolishment, for safety reasons and to avoid "distorting the general appearance of the city". The municipality said it would post demolition notices in newspapers and on social media, if they are unable to reach the building owner directly. Owners will have up to 30 days to respond to the notice by contacting the municipality to arrange building maintenance. If a subsequent visit from inspectors deems the building too dangerous to restore, the demolition will go ahead and the owner will be charged for the process. Last year, three residential towers that stood in Mina Zayed for almost 10 years were demolished to make way for a redevelopment of the historic area. Around 6,000kg of explosives brought the towers down in less than 10 seconds in an early morning controlled explosion heard around the city.
