Gulf Construction Online - Busy with Bawabat

Abu Dhabi Review

The mall ... will feature 339 high-profile retail outlets.

Busy with Bawabat

01 September 2009

SIGNIFICANT progress has been made on the Dh3 billion ($817 million) Bawabat Al Sharq project currently under construction in Bani Yas city, one of the main suburban regions of Abu Dhabi.

Located on 108 hectares of land, about 15 km from the Abu Dhabi International Airport, Bawabat Al Sharq is a mixed-use development encompassing residential, retail, entertainment and sporting facilities.
More than 30 per cent of the work on Phase One of the project – comprising a shopping mall with a built-up area of 150,000 sq m, 56 villas and three buildings offering 160 apartments – has been completed, Wael Tawil, CEO of the developer Bani Yas Investment and Development Company (BID), tells Gulf Construction.
The apartment blocks have reached level three while interior works have commenced in 14 of the 56 villas under construction.
Construction work on the project started in June last year and is moving ahead at a good pace. “We are trying to accelerate the pace of construction to finish it ahead of scheduled completion in the third quarter of 2010,” says Tawil.
Target Contracting is the main contractor on Phase One while Maunsell/Aecom is the landscaping design contractor. World Planner Consultant Engineers is the overall design and supervision contractor.
BID has finalised masterplans for Phase Two, which will comprise 240 units split between villas and apartments.
On completion in three phases, the project will offer 319 detached and attached villas (three, four and five bedrooms), some with private pools, and 22 medium-rise buildings comprising one to four-bedroom apartments.
Each apartment building features a spacious entrance lobby. Most apartments will offer spectacular views across the development, a car-park at ground entrance level, 24-hour security, card-controlled access for vehicles and pedestrians and drop-off driveway entry to each lobby.
BID has also started leasing the mall and has already locked five anchors, including two entertainment entities – Wanasa Family Entertainment Center and Grand Cinemas.
Wanasa Land, one of the leading names in family entertainment, is associated with integrated brands such as Wanoos Village, Strike Zone, Wanasa Bowling Center, Alaab, and Primo Café. Sprawling across an area of 3,738 sq m within the mall, Wanasa will provide a wide spectrum of entertaining activities and services that will cater to all ages.
Grand Cinemas will install four cinemas with a total of 1,200 seats covering more than 2,543 sq m.
The mall, being built at the cost of Dh700 million ($140 million) and spread over 148,000 sq m, will feature 339 high-profile retail outlets of fashion wear, electronics, neighbourhood services, accessory outlets, jewellers and a hypermarket. Spread across two floors, the mall will include 2,245 parking spaces and 16 food outlets.
“Saunders Global has been contracted to do the interior design of the mall as we think they have the expertise to produce a combination of dramatic contemporary and traditional design. With every section having a distinctive style and a unique atmosphere, we are confident that they will be able to reflect this perfectly,” says Tawil.
Bawabat Al Sharq will include the new headquarters and sports facilities for the Bani Yas Sports Club, which includes a Fifa-standard football stadium with a seating capacity for more than 20,000 spectators. This apart, the project will feature a nursery, international school, medical centre, health club and specialty training clubs, banks, pharmacies, cinemas and coffee shops.
Additional leisure facilities in the development include a gymnasium, swimming pools, community clubhouse, multipurpose halls, children’s play area, barbecue area, tennis courts and a motor dealership.
“The project is designed to reflect history and culture with a primary goal to blend the love of sport, retail, style and comfort. This development will provide an impetus to the economy of Bani Yas by enhancing its appeal for leisure and tourism,” he says.
“Bawabat Al Sharq symbolises the creation of an ideal living environment that offers world-class amenities in education, healthcare, sports and entertainment. We have been extremely selective while appointing our contractors to ensure our customers get nothing less than what they paid for,” he adds.
BID was established in 2005 as a majority-owned subsidiary of Bani Yas Sports Club. It is the investment and development arm of the Bani Yas Club with its main activities focusing on investment, development and management of real estate projects.