Dubai Municipality has ordered non-renewal licenses of 119 cafes and the closure of their activities for violating the terms of the Federal Law on Tobacco Control, senior official has said.

“The law prohibits offering Shishas in cafés near mosques, educational institutions, clubs and residential areas; offering Shishas without permission; violating items in the permits; and the presence of children less than 18 years inside the cafés,” said Salman.

He noted that the decision of closure was taken jointly with the Economic Development Department.

The municipality has launched inspection campaigns on cafés in Dubai to ensure compliance to the provisions of the Federal Law No. (15) of 2009 on Tobacco Control and its Executive Order No. 24 of 2013 after it entered into force.

Salman said lack of space in the cafés were among the most common irregularities. He noted that six months are given for cafes and establishments to adjust their conditions, before the decision of closure takes place.

He added that a field survey will be conducted on Shisha cafés operating in all areas around Dubai. The first phase will be the regulating of Shisha smoking in cafés and restaurants located near educational institutions, schools, kindergartens, places of worship, hospitals and residential neighborhoods. “We will take action on shops that are non-compliant with the area requirements,” said Salman.

The second phase, he noted, will be regulating Shisha smoking in cafés located in shopping areas, malls, hotel facilities and private areas for development, as well as areas that do not meet other planning conditions, and shops that are non-compliant with the area requirements.

“The owners of eligible establishments and cafés were directed to submit e-applications through the Public Health and Safety Department page of Dubai Municipality website to obtain a permit by submitting the required documents using the self-service for getting permit for designated smoking areas,” said Salman.

“Fines were issued on non-compliant cafés, which did not respond to the notices and warnings repeatedly, as per the approved terms of the Federal Law and Local Order No. 11 of 2003 regulating smoking,” he said.

The implementation plan of the Federal Law also applies to cafés and restaurants located in the free zones.