Inside thisissue

02Over 30 Service Providers Participate in Tenderingfor CommunitiesThis tendering exercise will cover all service provider roles in the communities.

04Unwanted VisitorsHelp stamp out the nuisance of unwanted visitors by being vigilant and reporting them.

03Way to Go, Eco Kids! Ten children from various Emaar communities were awarded during a ceremony at Dubai Marina Mall.

For private circulation only.Published by Emaar Community Management: Contact us at communities@emaar.ae

On the 9th & 10th of August 2012, Fitness First, The Meadows Village bore witness to the Emirates Living Ramadan Football Tournament 2012 organised by ECM.

Rejoicing in the spirit of the Holy Month, sixteen community based teams took part in the tournament. The teams were split into groups of 4 and each team played 3 round matches with the top team from each group qualifying for the semi-finals.

The first semi-final was played between ‘Xsat Muharam’ and ‘HSBC’ teams, with ‘Xsat Muharam’ making their way through to the finals. The second semi-final - played between ‘The Sharp Shooters’ and ‘Hiccups FC’ teams, was clinched by ‘Hiccups FC’. The final - 20 minutes of nail-biting, thrilling and intense play - was dominated by ‘Xsat Muharam’ who won the match 3-0.

Zuheir Kotob, a resident of Meadows and captain of ‘Hiccups FC’, appreciated ECM’s efforts to host and organising the tournament. His team appreciated the community’s efforts to engage teenagers in sports activities. Shahrokh Farhadi, a resident of Springs and captain of the winning side, was awarded ‘Most Valuable Player’ for scoring 9 goals in 5 matches.

More sports activities are being planned for the near future.

Ramadan Football Frenzy

02Sustainability Tips for Your HomeTo help reduce water consumption, learn a few handy tips.

ECM has great pleasure in announcing that not only were we successfully recommended for re-certification of ISO 9001-2008 - Quality Management Systems recently, we also received recommendation for certificationfor ISO 14001:2004 - Environmental Management Systems and ISO 50001:2011 - Energy Management Systems.

ECM was the first Community & Association Management company in the region to obtain the ISO 9001 certification last year and will again be the first in the region to attain the two additional certification of ISO 14001 & ISO 50001.

We are grateful to our whole team who made this happen, but those who stand to gain the most out of this news are all our client stakeholders who form part of the communities we manage. This certification gives confidence and reassurance to our customers in relation to our management systems and approach to the environment and energy management.

ECMRecommendedFor New ISOCertifications

COMMUNITY NEWSEmirates Living - Issue No.3, 2012

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The duck population in Emirates Living has expanded significantly over the past months and whilst it is fun to feed and watch the ducks, they are not good for the wellbeing of the community. The following are the reasons for saying “NO’’ to ducks in the community. • Ducks may spread disease from visiting to local bird populations.• Feeding ducks may introduce rodent issues.• Duck faeces encourage bacteria growth. • Food waste deposited on the water’s edge is unsightly and smells bad.• Rotting food (bread) given to ducks pollute the water and create breeding habitat for flies, at the same time, it becomes an alternative food source for fish which normally feed on aquatic larvae to control mosquito population. The community is seeking assistance from Dubai Municipality to control the increasing duck population, but cooperation from residents is essential to resolve this matter.

Harm & Fowl

ECM is facilitating a tendering exercise in all ECM-managed communities. For Emirates Living, this began with Waste Management services and ultimately the process will cover all service provider roles. While undertaking the process, the focus was to leverage economies of scale and maintain individual decision-making ability between the Interim Owners Associations (IOA). The principles of the tender are transparency, uniform service standards, competitiveness and performance management. In addition, when recently evaluated by Jones Lang La Salle (the internationally renowned project consultants) the approach was rated as “World Class.”

The cleaning and general maintenance tender had attracted over 30 service providers who participated in a pre-qualification process, which was structured to qualify potential bidders based on their submissions, responses, suitability and financial position (longevity) to meet desired service levels and technical requirements.

Post qualification, the successful service providers received site specific scopes, carried out site inspections and submitted community-wise responses. All members of the Interim Boards will be invited to join ECM in evaluating the technical submissions. Members will be invited to participate in a commercial evaluation once completed.

Over 30 Service Providers Participate in Tendering for Communities

Sustainability Tips for Your HomeThe UAE ranks very high for per capita electricity and water consumption by global standards, in fact the UAE is the world’s third largest consumer of water behind the U.S. and Canada. Due to the warm climate, air conditioning is a significant power consumer in homes and workplaces. Whilst the need for air conditioning and our thirst for water is not going to change there are things we can all do to decrease wastage in these areas. Keep in mind that peak demand for electricity and water is between 1pm to 5pm, especially in the summer months (June-September). Try to reduce your dependence on services at this time by delaying tasks until after 5pm or finishing them before 1pm.

Garden Watering• Water before 8am or after 6pm and avoid watering on windy days.• Water in several short sessions rather than one long one. For example, three ten minute sessions spaced 30 minutes to an hour apart will allow your lawn to better absorb moisture than one straight 30 minute session.• Only water when your lawn is thirsty. Over watering promotes shallow root growth making your lawn less hardy. (To determine if your lawn needs to be watered, simply walk across the grass. If you leave footprints, it's time to water.)• Install moisture sensors in each irrigation zone (sunny, shady, etc.) to better determine irrigation needs.

Shower and Faucet Tips• Install a water-efficient shower head with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) per minute.• Install aerators on your kitchen and bathroom faucets to reduce indoor water use by as much as 4%.• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving and save more than 5 gallons (19 liters) per day.• Clean vegetables in a sink or pan partially filled with water rather than running water from the tap.• Reuse the water that vegetables are washed in for watering houseplants.

Tips courtesy of www.dewa.ae

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Ten children from various Emaar communities were awarded during a ceremony at Dubai Marina Mall, for their participation in ECM’s Eco Kids Sustainability Campaign Drawing Contest. Highlighting ECM’s commitment to environmental sustainability, a community-wide drawing contest was held for children up to 12 years of age, based on the theme ‘How can you help save the environment?’ Works by the ten children were selected from a collection of over 150 entries. The winners were presented Apple iPods, while all participants were awarded with tickets from KidZania®. The works of the children from Emirates Living, Arabian Ranches, The Greens & Views, Dubai Marina, and Downtown Dubai, were also exhibited in the atrium of Dubai Marina Mall through the day. During the course of the ceremony, ECM also hosted a raffle draw giving away Apple iPods to two lucky winners from the audience.

Way to Go, Eco Kids!

Improving Your Home?Are you looking to find out how to build a new pool? Or are you concerned about a neighbour’s latest building project? All owners must obtain necessary approvals prior to commencing any alteration work at their property so please do not hesitate contacting and involving Emaar Facilities Management in this process. Find out all the answers to your question and more.

Please contact:Emaar Facilities ManagementTel: + 800-36227Fax: +971 4 3673670

Or meet the team in person: Facilities Management Help DeskGround Floor, Building 2, Emaar SquareDowntown Dubai

Working Hours - 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Sunday to Thursday)

Are Your Garbage Bins in View?Don’t forget the community rules concerning the storage of garbage, recycling and debris. Many residents are unaware that the community rules require that all garbage, recycling, landscaping waste and debris should be stored out of public view. “Out of public view” means that the garbage and rubbish cannot be observed from the street or neighboring villa. Please don’t place your garbage bins on driveways or common areas in front of your property. If your garbage bin or other waste is currently stored in your driveway or is otherwise visible to the public, now is the perfect time to evaluate where you can move it. The correct area to store all waste is in your garage or behind the full height boundary wall.

Boo!ECM is delighted to invite you to Halloween in Emirates Living 2012. For the first time a Halloween Parade and Costume Contest will be held for all Emirates Living residents - dress up and join the fun on Halloween evening, Wednesday 31 October. To add to the fun, you could also open your doors to Trick or Treaters (keep a bowl of candy ready for the little ones!). Further details and registration forms will be distributed in mid-October - we hope you will join us!

Preventing Damas Tree DisastersFurther to our second quarter newsletter article about the damage caused by the invasive root system of the Damas (Conocarpus) trees, ECM is conducting a community-wide “Say No To Damas” campaign running from 7th to 20th October 2012 in Emirates Living & Arabian Ranches. During the campaign, residents are encouraged to remove existing Damas trees within their garden to avoid potential costly damage. For a limited time during the course of the campaign, residents can benefit from reduced prices for tree removal services offered by both Orient Irrigation Services and Opal Landscaping.

For an obligation-free quotation, please contact:Orient Irrigation Services - 055 340 9883Opal Landscaping - 055 854 7116

SAY NO TODAMAS

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USEFUL NUMBERS

Fire 997Ambulance 998Police 999Al Ameen 800 4888

Dubai Municipality 800 900Taxi (RTA) 800 9090DEWA 991Community Security Hotline (24 hrs) 04 308 9555

Service Fee Collection BoxesAdditional Community Service Fee (CSF) drop boxes are now installed at the gatehouses of The Springs (Springs 1, 2 and 11), The Lakes and The Meadows (Meadows 2 and 6). These color coded boxes provide residents an easy and convenient way to pay their CSF by cheque. These drop boxes are additional to the previously installed drop boxes at the Springs Town Center and Meadows Village. They are checked daily before 12 noon except on weekends.

Ramadan IftarECM celebrated the Holy Month of Ramadan this year with community iftars, a very popular initiative now in its sixth year. Tents were erected and iftar meals were served daily at the three Mosques in Emirates Living, at Al Samad Mosque next to Meadows Town Centre. Offering access to all people it attracted a cross-section of the community including office-goers, workers and the general public creating a strong sense of community bonding.

Springs Drive EnhancementMany residents ask ECM about plans to beautify Springs Drive and other areas affected by the recently completed RTA Parallel Roads which run through Emirates Living. With the roadwork now complete, the process of reinstating landscaping and directional signage has been initiated and work is expected to commence on site by the first quarter of 2013.

No More SudsHelp keep the community clean by reducing run off when washing your car or hosing down your car port. It has been noted that many trails of water, soap suds and chemicals running down the streets and we would appreciate your assistance to limit this. Use a local car wash center and sweep your driveway with a broom. The reasons? Soap and chemical residue could harm the environment, make the streets slick and potentially harm pets, children or landscaping. Additionally, the community will appear neater without water stains on the streets.

Unwanted Visitors?Are you annoyed by unwanted visitors, be it DVD salespeople or carpet salesmen knocking on your door? No solicitation is allowed within the community, so if you are approached by unwanted sales person or people looking for work, please do not accept their services. Take their business card, brochure or whatever information they give you and pass it to community security or ECM at communities@emaar.ae to help stamp out this solicitation. All residents are encouraged to be vigilant and report these sellers to Community Security at 04 308 9555.

Community Improvements - Springs and Meadows

Some play areas in the Springs and Meadows have recently been upgraded. These upgrades include widening of play area and installation of new shade fabric as well as replacement of damaged play equipment in Meadows 4, Meadows 6 and Meadows 9. These improvements add to the overall appeal of the community and will be a welcome announcement for families with children.

Take My Junk AwayDoes any old furniture clutter your house? Upgrading to a new mattress or do you have an ancient stereo system collecting dust in your closet? ‘Take My Junk’, a company specializing in recycling used household goods, is available to help. Offering free collection for any and all used furniture and electronics, Take My Junk will clear your clutter. Visit www.takemyjunkuae.com for more information.