Dubai hotels can now build rooftop restaurants

Nikhil Pereira, April 12th, 2017

Dubai Municipality has issued an administrative decision authorising hotels to build restaurants on the rooftops.

This new rule in accordance with Decision No. 66 of 2007 regarding the controls on some planning and structural modifications, said Dubai Municipality director general Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah.

The resolution stipulates that hotels are authorised to request permission for constructing restaurants on the rooftops according to the planning requirements, which include that the percentage of construction should not exceed 50% of the floor area of the roof and that the maximum building area should not exceed 1,000 square metres and that the lateral slope of the building on the rooftop should not be less than 1.5 metres on all sides of the building.

In addition, parking spaces are to be provided in the building as the new construction is considered to comply with the requirement that the deficit in the number of parking spaces should not exceed the percentage authorised by administrative decision No. 66 of 2007.

In the existing buildings, it is allowed to increase parking by an additional 5%, in order to meet the situations in which they cannot offer alternative technical or engineering solutions.

The resolution also stipulates to take care of the other conditions and requirements stipulated in Administrative Decree No. 66 of 2007 regarding the controls on some planning and structural modifications, as well as the administrative decision No. 125 of 2001 on the approval of the building conditions and specifications.

The hotels are charged fees for utilising the rooftop area for the purpose of changing the use of that floor from the planned original use, and they should also submit a drawing on the space utilized as a result of building the restaurant, and the amount of space utilized as a result of the inability to provide parking for the restaurant.

Hotelier Middle East contacted the press office of the Dubai Municipality to understand the regulations that existed prior to Decision No. 66 of 2007 coming into effect.

More details shortly.