Dense fog has reduced visibility on several major roads across Dubai. Police have increased patrols and traffic controls to improve safety. Motorists are urged to slow down, maintain safe distances, use low-beam headlights and fog lights where available, avoid sudden lane changes, and not stop on road shoulders. Heavy trucks may be temporarily restricted. Follow official advisories and allow extra travel time.

Brigadier Jumaa Salem bin Suwaidan, Director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police, said extensive field and preventive measures were activated in response to foggy conditions affecting multiple areas.

Traffic patrols were deployed on key highways, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road, Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Khail Road and Dubai–Al Ain Road, to regulate traffic flow, monitor speeds, and reduce accident risks.

Police patrols carried out continuous inspections to ensure motorists followed safety instructions, such as gradually reducing speed, maintaining safe distances and avoiding sudden lane changes or unsafe overtaking. Vehicles found stopped on road shoulders were promptly moved to prevent collisions caused by low visibility.

As a precaution, the movement of heavy trucks was temporarily suspended during periods of dense fog, with drivers directed to designated rest areas. Police warned that speed differences between heavy and light vehicles significantly increase accident risks when visibility is poor.

Authorities noted that reduced horizontal visibility led to minor congestion and vehicle build-up in some locations. Patrols intervened where necessary, managing traffic and diverting motorists to alternative routes.

Dubai Police urged drivers to follow fog safety guidelines, including:

• Using low-beam headlights instead of high beams
• Switching on fog lights when available
• Avoiding stopping on highways
• Refraining from mobile phone use and distractions

Motorists were also warned against sudden braking or lane changes without clear visibility ahead.

Dubai Police stressed that road safety is a shared responsibility, urging drivers to stay alert, follow official advisories and comply with traffic regulations during adverse weather conditions.

Sharjah Municipality has announced that restaurants, cafeterias and food retailers can now apply for permits to prepare and display food during daytime hours in Ramadan, subject to specific conditions and fees.

The permits allow food preparation and cooking during fasting hours, but dine-in service remains prohibited until iftar. Cooking must take place strictly inside kitchen areas only, including outlets located within shopping centres.

The fee for a daytime food preparation permit is set at Dh3,000.

Food display permits before iftar

In addition, Sharjah Municipality is offering a separate permit that allows businesses to display food items outside shops before iftar. This applies to restaurants, cafeterias, sweet shops and bakeries.

The fee for a food display permit is Dh500.

However, strict hygiene and safety rules apply. Displayed food must be:

• Placed in enclosed glass cases at least one metre high
• Stored using food-grade packaging
• Kept at appropriate temperatures

Health and safety rules

Jamal Al Mazmi, Director of the Health Control and Safety Department at Sharjah Municipality, said the permits are issued to ensure food is handled hygienically and safely during Ramadan.

According to the municipality, businesses must follow these requirements:

• Food must be placed in stainless steel containers
• Items must be displayed in an airtight glass box (minimum height 100cm) with a sliding or hinged door
• Food must be covered with aluminium foil or transparent food-grade plastic
• Food must be kept at a suitable temperature and not refrigerated or frozen

How to apply

Businesses can submit permit applications through Sharjah Municipality’s commercial licensing portal.

Authorities said inspections will continue throughout Ramadan to ensure compliance with public health standards and Ramadan regulations.

Sharjah Municipality has begun enforcing a ban on car parking shades installed outside private property boundaries, with inspection teams carrying out regular checks across residential neighbourhoods and issuing removal notices to violators.

Authorities say any structure that extends beyond a property’s legally defined plot limits is considered a violation, regardless of its design or purpose. Residents found in breach face mandatory removal and financial penalties.

The municipality clarified that permits are readily approved for parking shades built on private property. However, the restriction on external installations has sparked debate among homeowners, many of whom say their villa plots simply do not have enough internal space.

Why the rule exists

The regulation is aimed at maintaining urban order and protecting critical infrastructure such as underground utility networks, water pipelines and electricity cables. Officials stress that off-plot structures can pose safety risks and interfere with long-term urban planning.

Residents push back as summer approaches

On social media, residents have raised several concerns, noting that:

• Many villas have limited space for internal parking shades
• Extreme summer heat makes vehicle protection a necessity
• Families have already spent significant amounts installing the shades

With temperatures expected to exceed 45°C in the coming months, residents argue that shades which do not block traffic, pedestrian walkways or infrastructure should be allowed under a regulated permit system rather than a blanket ban.

What happens next

Sharjah Municipality said it is offering technical support to homeowners, including help with redesigning internal parking layouts and improving vehicle access within private plots.

Residents, meanwhile, are calling for a review of the policy,  urging authorities to introduce a flexible regulatory framework that balances urban planning needs with the practical realities faced by families.