Fire at the Address Hotel, Dubai 31 Dec 2015

Beale & Company first reported about the fire safety debate associated with the use of metal composite panel cladding in the UAE in March 2015. The fire at the Address Hotel has brought this debate back into focus, even more so following news that the authorities are revising the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice (“the Code”) in March 2016. It has been reported that revisions may include the assessment of all existing buildings, the requirement for owners to implement recommended alterations and the possible inclusion of greater fire safety responsibilities for consultants post completion. More details and related issues are discussed in the attached article.