Dubai: Dubai is going to build an eco-friendly city in the shape of flowers, the Dubai Municipality announced on its Facebook page.

Hussein Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, said that the project embodied the vision of Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and was in line with the UAE policy of following a sustainable approach to urbanisation.

Desert Rose City has been given the go-ahead and will feature schools, shopping malls, clinics and hospitals, villas and designated housing for Emiratis running on renewable energy.

The city will be totally self-sustainable, will have its own police station, mosques and other services, and will especially focus on green spaces.

The first phase of the project is expected to welcome 160,000 inhabitants to an area of more than 14,000 hectares and should be complete by 2020.