The Dubai municipality will be cracking down on shisha (water pipe) cafes that do not comply with anti-smoking laws by the end of the year.
Cafes have had nearly a year to move to new premises if their floor area is smaller than stipulated in the new regulations. Current regulations state that buildings should be 1,500 sq ft, and those that are smaller than this will have to move to bigger premises if they wish to continue selling shisha or allow smoking.
Since the smoking ban rules were introduced for restaurants and cafes on 18 November last year, approximately 25 restaurants have been fined AED 5,000 (EUR 869) to AED 10,000 (EUR 1,738).
Meanwhile, the Dubai municipality has announced the fourth phase of its programme to ban smoking in public areas. The new regulations target "entertainment and recreation places," which includes snooker halls and internet cafes. (sra)