Abu Dhabi is set to see the rise of a state-of-the-art city over 1 sq km for training professionals in the science of crisis and disaster management.

Known as Jaheziya, the city being built by Abu Dhabi-based Tawazun company will be a training facility for complex disaster management potential scenarios, bringing together multi-agency personnel from the armed forces, civil defence agencies, health authorities, humanitarian, non-governmental organisations and other agencies in simulating potential crises.

It is designed to re-enact and recreate past incidents and perceived future threats so that professionals in the fields of safety, security, emergencies management, crisis and disaster management from the various agencies can train, communicate and interact with their counterparts while performing the operations in realistic settings.

It will serve as a platform to provide scenario-based training of single and multiple events in various training zones.

Tawazun has already appointed Aecom to start work on Jaheziya. As per the agreement, Aecom will work with Tawazun entities Jaheziya and Tawazun Industrial Park (TIP) in developing the safety, security and disaster management city at ICAD IV in Mussafah.

Jaheziya chairman Ali Mohamed Musleh Al Ahbabi comments: “Jaheziya is a very strategic project and has been perceived to evolve into the most sought-after facility both in the region and internationally for multi-agency and intra/inter agencies training in the fields of safety, security, emergency preparedness and crisis and disaster management. It is also the biggest of its kind in the region.”

Jaheziya will cover all the industries and sectors with a high degree of potential hazards such as maritime, rail transport, construction, medical emergencies, aviation, industrial, CBRN and Hazmat (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear and hazardous materials) and fire-fighting.  The facilities will be supported by accommodation, and classroom facilities set in a community environment.

Commenting on the contract award, Riad Zaki Al Nashef, executive vice-president Aecom, Middle East and managing director, UAE and Oman, says: “Aecom is proud to partner with Tawazun Safety Security and Disaster Management City (TSSDMC) in providing project management and construction supervision services for its new disaster training facility in the UAE emirate. This is a unique and challenging project that builds upon Aecom’s 50-year record of contributing to the development of the UAE and upon our current works with the Abu Dhabi Government and the UAE military services.

“Initiated by Tawazun, Jaheziya is in line with our government’s vision to sustain and enhance the nation’s capacity and capability to protect its communities, assets and vital infrastructure for creating a ready and resilient nation in an ever-changing world. Jaheziya will provide training with local and international accreditation in line with the national and global standards and will be fully operational by 2019,” adds Saif Al Hajeri, the CEO of Tawazun.

Jaheziya will work hand in hand with its stakeholders to develop the new city which will offer training grounds to the armed forces, police forces, civil defence agencies, ministries and municipalities, port authorities, transport authorities, health authorities, oil and gas, energy, construction and other industry sector, nuclear and biological plants, and chemical factories, education councils, schools, colleges, higher education institutions, research and development (R&D) centres, humanitarian aid agencies, and non-governmental organisations.

The new city is expected to be completely operational by 2019.

Jaheziya’s unique facilities include a number of training wings that offer a range of scenario-based training programmes which cover various aspects of emergency response in a number of different environments. Training will cover natural or man-made incidents, such as earthquakes, building collapses, explosions, fires, flooding, oil spills, health epidemics, marine rescue and others that are identified as locally, regionally and globally-relevant today.

Jaheziya will be active in the fields of onshore and offshore rescue and fire-fighting, safety and emergency response, to national and international standards such as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Maritime Organization (IMO), Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization (Opito), First Aid International, NTA and the UAE Civil Defence.