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International Journal of Environment and Sustainability, 2016, 5(2): 30-44 43
more incentives to keep investors interested in city. The solutions addressed were all tested
the emirate's market. The practices that involve and practiced before, and they showed great
more commitment from the private sector results. The right step now is to prepare more
should be handled with special precautions detailed studies addressing each pillar of the
since the last thing the government wants to see sustainable development package separately
is investors moving out of their market. i.e., strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats. Accordingly, solutions that are more
Expanding the Industrial Sector (Free Zone) detailed should be proposed. A final compre-
hensive strategy should address all problems
The location potential in RAK should be used and their solutions in RAK. At that time, the
wisely. The industrial activities that support the emirate will be ready to translate these
free zone should be expanded and encouraged. strategies into a land use master plan that
RAK already has many huge industries, varying delivers the image of a sustainable community.
from light and mixed-use industries to heavy
industries like cement, ceramics, and reinforc- The PRS as a rating system controls the design
ing steel. The products of these industries are process for villas, buildings, and communities
sold within the UAE, and some of them are through design reports that should be prepared
being imported to other GCC and Arab count- by local consultants and approved by the UPC.
ries. Such investments shape the core of RAK's No building permit is to be issued without the
income and employment opportunities, so they UPC's approval. Site visits should be planned to
should receive more attention and support from ensure that construction is going smoothly and
the government. that all approved materials and practices are
being implemented. Another report should be
Expanding the Tourism Sector prepared at the end of the construction process,
confirming that the building complies with the
Along with the biodiversity that the city has, the PRS. Again, the UPC should approve this
unique integration of the shores, deserts, and construction report, as the building completion
mountains creates an amazing environment for certificate will not be issued without this
tourism activities. The city already has some approval. Finally, the PRS monitors the building
resorts in some exquisite locations, yet this while it operates in order to confirm that it is
sector still has a lot to be done. The desert and operating as it is designed to be. The process in
the Bedouin lifestyle should be used in a more RAK will be much easier than in Abu Dhabi and
advanced way. RAK can be a tourist attraction if Dubai since it has already two successful
a better strategy is implemented soon. models to follow. Abu Dhabi’s model is more
likely to be implemented in RAK, as it was
6. Conclusion specially developed for the UAE as a whole
country. The federal government is now consi-
The outcome of the analyses from both studies dering generalizing the PRS system for the UAE
proves that sustainable development is very as a whole instead of wasting more time and
likely to happen in RAK. It also proves that Abu money developing new models.
Dhabi is a very successful model for the GCC
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November 2015)
ADCED (2008), Government of Abu Dhabi, Abu
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the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. Heritage Preservation”, Museum Interna-
Available online at https://www.adced.ae tional, Vol. 63 No 3-4, September-December
(Accessed 12 November 2015) 2011, pp. 69 - 77
AlGhais, S. (2010), The Protection of Natural
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