Shisha cafés on the move in Abu Dhabi

Many shisha cafés in Abu Dhabi face closure because of anti-smoking regulations due to come into force at the end of January, according to a story in The National.

The new regulations will come in backed by massive penalties for those who don’t conform, which for most will mean moving their premises.

About 90 percent of the cafés are in densely populated areas, while the regulations state that they must be at least 150 meters from residential areas, schools and mosques.

The Department of Economic Development was quoted as saying that café owners were told in July about the new regulations, which, in the department’s view, gave them time to make the changes needed.

“No leniency will be exercised this time, due to a Cabinet decision on July 21,” said Ahmed Al Qubaisi, acting commercial protection director at the department. “The authority takes all measures to ensure a healthy life to residents and children and protect them from shisha’s harmful effects.”

Those measures include threatening shisha café owners with fines of up to AED1 million, two years in jail and the closure of their businesses.