Normalcy seemed to have returned to the area surrounding the Dubai Address hotel, which was hit by a blaze on the New Year's Eve three hours before midnight.

UAE online paper Emarat Alyoum posted a video showing visitors flocking to neighbouring cafes, restaurants and other attractions in the Downtown Dubai area near the 63-storey luxury hotel building, which was engulfed in fire on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Emaar, the developer of the Dubai Address hotel lauded the leadership and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and the city for "once again demonstrated its inherent strength and positivity with the swift, professional, calm and caring response to the fire incident at The Address Downtown Dubai hotel."

In his statement, Mohamed Alabbar, the chairman of Emaar Properties, thanked Sheikh Mohammed for keeping their morale high, and for his prompt directives that enabled Emaar to deal with a challenging situation with utmost professionalism.  

Within minutes of the incident, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Police, Dubai Ambulance Services, the RTA, Dubai Heath Authority and the all governmental authorities concerned, coordinated and responded with maximum efficiency, he stated.

Alabbar pointed out that the immediate priority was ensuring the safety of guests and colleagues at the Dubai Address hotel.

"We evacuated all of them safely in record time in a most orderly fashion. The authorities also ensured the safety of the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Downtown Dubai," he said.

Alabbar commended the management teams and staff of various hotels in Dubai, who stepped forward unconditionally to support Emaar in relocating its guests. "This is a true testament to how Dubai operates as ‘one team,’ he added.

“All our guests and residents have been relocated across various Emaar and other hotels in the city. We have set up a dedicated team from different departments of Emaar to ensure that all requirements of our guests are being met immediately. We thank our guests for their understanding and patience," he added.

Alabbar reiterated that Emaar projects were built as per highest standards of quality and international best practices.

"The hotel is the flagship project of The Addrress Hotels + Resorts. It is a global landmark that has welcomed guests from all over the world," he noted.

Dubbing the various Dubai government entities as true heroes, Alabbar said "their noble work gives Dubai’s people and the business community the sense of security, comfort and confidence."

“We are also thankful to the various Embassy and Consulate officials in the UAE and Dubai for their support to us in facilitating the travel and documentation process for our guests," he stated.

"The authorities and staff at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs, Dubai International Airport, Emirates Airline and other airline companies were quick to extend support to our guests, and we are grateful to them for their kind consideration and care in ensuring the well-being of our guests," he added.-TradeArabia News Service