Dubai Municipality has launched a new platform called the Street Designation Proposal, aimed at allowing the public to submit names for roads and streets across Dubai. This initiative is part of an effort to enhance community participation in naming roads and streets in the emirate. The goal is to highlight the emirate’s history, heritage, and values while reflecting national identity and cultural characteristics that align with future development.
The platform serves as a digital system where individuals can suggest names for streets and roads in Dubai. The Director General of Dubai Municipality, Dawoud Al Hajri, emphasized the importance of using specific criteria to maintain the identity and continuity between the past, present, and future of Dubai. The public can contribute to the naming process by submitting their proposals through the platform link provided.
In a trial phase, the committee named roads in the Al Khawaneej 2 area using names inspired by local trees, plants, and flowers such as Ghaf Street. The naming process aims to create a unique and distinct character for each street, helping individuals easily locate destinations with the new addressing system. Connecting the mental image of a place with its name, signs, and location details, enhances the overall experience of navigating the city.
The Dubai Road Naming Committee has developed a method for proposing names for roads based on specific classifications for each area. These classifications include names associated with Arabic and Islamic design, art, culture, poetry, natural phenomena, local plants, trees, marine life, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the classification covers names related to ancient castles, archaeological sites, jewelry, palm trees, farming professions, and modern technology, among others.
Established by Executive Council Resolution No. 35 of 2021, the Dubai Road Naming Committee is led by the Director General of Dubai Municipality and includes representatives from various organizations and expert individuals. The committee’s goal is to ensure that the naming process reflects the identity and interrelationship between the past, present, and future of Dubai, highlighting the emirate’s rich cultural heritage. By encouraging community participation, the initiative aims to revive heritage names and create a more cohesive street naming system in Dubai.