01 March 2015
Work on Dragon Mall in Diyar Al Muharraq is ahead of schedule
Diyar Al Muharraq, a leading urban developer in Bahrain, says work is on target for the Dragon Mall and Asian Dining Street in Dragon City with the main structural framework on both completed and well ahead of schedule.
Set in the southwest corner of the Diyar Al Muharraq on a 115,000-sq-m area off the northern shores of Muharraq, Dragon City is the first-of-its kind development in Bahrain. It has a gross floor area of 51,000 sq m, 750 individual retail store spaces, 4,500 sq m of warehousing, car parking for 1,500 vehicles and incorporates an Asian Dining Street of some 6,000 sq m which is an architectural highlight in itself.
Nass Contracting, which is responsible for the construction of Phase One of Dragon City, commenced work in May 2014 and is expected to complete it in June this year.
Commenting on the progress so far, Dr Maher Al Shaer, CEO of Diyar Al Muharraq, says: “We at Diyar Al Muharraq are immensely pleased to be on target with the construction of Dragon City and all its related developments, notably Dragon Mall and the Asian Dining Street.
“Nass Contracting has yet again proven its ability to follow in that same vein as the work is being completed at such an impressive rate. With the main structural framework of Dragon Mall and the Asian Dining Street having already been built, the rest of the construction work should be completed also on target.”
Dragon City is considered to be a unique concept in Bahrain and is set to be a large-scale trade platform for the direct sale of Chinese goods, with options for retail and wholesale opportunities and a tourist and entertainment site with Chinese architectural and cultural aspects. It aims to attract foreign investments and provide employment opportunities, in addition to meeting consumer demands.
The facility will offer a variety of Chinese products and is expected to draw in a multitude of visitors on a regular basis, which will include local consumers, trade customers and tourists.
The Dragon City concept was launched in May 2012 as the result of an agreement between Diyar Al Muharraq and Chinamex. Gulf House Engineering is responsible for design and supervision and Baker, Wilkins and Smith Middle East (BWS) for cost consultancy services, while Cluttons was appointed as the leasing agent for the project.
“Dragon City is a hugely significant part of the Diyar Al Muharraq project and aims to hold the same position in Bahrain as a whole as well, contributing in substantial degrees to the country’s tourism and trade sectors and thereby, to its economy. Being a landmark project for Diyar Al Muharraq, Dragon City’s completion will be a milestone for us and we hope and expect it to be our stepping stone to further success, heralding an era of unprecedented prosperity,” says Dr Maher.