Citizens rented to shops in commercial centers in Abu Dhabi demanded that they be granted temporary facilities until the economic and commercial activities return to recovery after passing the "Covid 19" stage.
They stressed, through "Emirates Today", the importance of exempting them from paying rental values during the closing period of economic activities that spanned two months, reducing annual rental values, and paying a percentage of sales as temporary rent, stressing that they face the risks of eviction, given the financial burdens resulting from repercussions The «Covid-19» virus.
In turn, officials in the departments of commercial centers believed that the situation is complicated, stressing the need for tenants to adhere to contracts, so that these departments can pay their financial obligations to employees and service companies.
Tenants' demands
In detail, citizen Mohammed Abdullah, who rents a number of stores in a number of commercial centers in Abu Dhabi, demanded that the tenants be exempted from paying the rental values, during the period of closing the economic activities that spanned nearly two months, and pay a percentage of sales, as a temporary rent, so that things would return to What it was before the "Covid 19" pandemic, confirming that he and many of the tenants of the shops are facing the risks of closing their businesses, due to the increase in financial burdens and less returns.
He added that the tenants of shopping malls in shopping centers are suffering, currently, declining returns, as a result of the consequences of the virus, and the consequent measures to protect the pioneers of malls, such as: reducing hours of work, and absorptive capacity.
He stressed that tenants have submitted requests related to these issues to the commercial centers, but that their departments refused to agree to the demands, and warned the tenants to pay huge financial fines in cases of eviction, as this is considered a breakdown of the contract.
Temporary facilities
In turn, Citizen Walid Al-Marzouki demanded that temporary rentals of commercial stores be granted in malls to pay the rental values, including exemption from paying the rents during the closing period, reducing the annual rental value, and paying the rental value equal to 10% of the sales value within two or three months, until Return the business to the way it was.
He stressed the refusal of the departments of commercial centers to grant tenants any facilities, at a time when the management of a commercial center required to exempt from the rental value during the closing period, the tenants' agreement in writing to renew the lease contract next year, at the same rental value for the current year. He called for government support and incentive initiatives for the tenants of the shops in the commercial centers.
Inequality
As for the tenant, Hamed Sultan, he also called for facilities as a result of losses during the closure and the decrease in the number of shoppers, calling for the centers ’departments to be equal when dealing with commercial activities.
He revealed that the management of a shopping center agreed to a request for a coffee shop to pay a percentage of the sales, as a substitute for rent within two months, at a time when other requests were rejected, under the pretext that the coffee shop was an influential activity, and its closure represented a loss for the commercial center.
The tenant, Saif Khalid, agreed with his tenant counterparts to refuse shopping centers to provide facilities for them, pointing to one commercial center that decided to postpone the rental installments.
Khaled demanded that they be included in stimulus initiatives launched by the Abu Dhabi government, stressing the existence of commercial shops threatened with closure because of the inability to pay rental values with great financial pressures and declining sales.
gain and loss
In addition, an official at the Abu Dhabi Commercial Centers Administration Company (PN) stressed the necessity of the tenants' commitment to lease contracts with the commercial center departments, so that these departments can adhere to their contracts and pay their financial obligations to employees and service companies.
The official added, for "Emirates Today", that the tenants were able to achieve great gains during the past years, thanks to the infrastructure in the emirate, and the flow of tourists and residents to the commercial centers, pointing out that trade means profit and loss, and everyone must bear the losses for several months, after Making profits for many years, demanding tenants to strive and innovate to overcome the current difficulties.
In his response to the necessity of equal treatment with all tenants, he explained that the issue of damage from the repercussions of “Covid-19” is related to many factors, according to the commercial center, the commodity being sold, the location of the store, and other factors, so the percentage of damage is different, and therefore not Tenants can treat the same transaction.
The situation is complicated
For his part, a third official in the management of a commercial center (SA) was satisfied with confirming that the situation is complicated, given that each party has its obligations.
He explained that the commercial centers differ in their policy, according to their size and capabilities, the position of their departments, and the status of the tenants in them, with recognition of the exposure of the tenants to significant material losses, especially since the demand for the commercial centers has not yet reached its normal state yet.
Abu Dhabi Economy: We do not interfere
The Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi said that the dealings of commercial centers with tenants differ according to the center’s management and the contracts concluded between the two parties.
She pointed out that there are clear differences in dealing in general, noting that they do not interfere in the contractual relationship between the centers' departments and tenants.
The Dubai Economy confirmed that the commercial activity will gradually return after the reopening of economic activities and the end of the national sterilization program.
Study proposals
The official in the management of a commercial center in Abu Dhabi (B.H.) said that proposals are being studied to alleviate the affected tenants, noting to observe the financial obligations of the commercial centers, such as: paying salaries and electricity services.