Gulf Construction Online - Arada awards student housing complex deal

Real Estate

Nest ... 12 five-storey apartment blocks at Aljada for housing students.

Arada awards student housing complex deal

01 March 2021

Leading UAE developer Arada has awarded a AED367-million ($100 million) contract for the construction of its premier integrated student housing complex, Nest, which is located within its mega development, Aljada in Sharjah.

The order was clinched by Intermass Engineering and Contracting Company, a Sharjah-based contractor with more than 40 years’ experience in the regional construction industry, which has also worked on previous phases at Aljada and at Nasma Residences, Arada’s first project.

Just 10 minutes’ walk from one of the Middle East’s fastest-growing education hubs, University City, Nest offers major facilities and amenities, all set within a smart technology-enabled space that sets a new standard for student housing not just regionally but globally. Each block contains a selection of studios and two-, four-, five- and eight-bed dormitories, alongside laundry rooms, shared TV rooms and study areas. Different parts of the community have been allocated to accommodation for men and women, ensuring comfort and privacy for every tenant.

Arada says work on the 12 five-storey apartment blocks at Nest will begin immediately, and the first units will be handed over in the second quarter of 2022.

The contract award coincides with the news that Arada has just completed 10 million safe manhours without a lost-time injury (LTI) at Aljada, a remarkable achievement given the size of the 24-million-sq-ft jobsite and the number of different contractor teams operating there, it adds.

Arada Chairman Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi says: “This contract award is evidence of our determination to push forward aggressively with construction at Aljada in a safe and secure manner, and I am pleased to see that our project and contractor teams have reached another safety milestone in recent days.”

According to him, the Nest fits perfectly with Sharjah’s mission to provide a progressive and all-round educational experience for students from the UAE and around the world.

Spread over a 388,000-sq-ft area, the Nest masterplan has been carefully designed with internal courtyards and spaces that provide meeting areas for residents. Its key facilities include an art studio, a music hall, a library, a running track that surrounds the complex, an amphitheatre and a central dining hall, while tenants will also be provided with access to male- and female-only swimming pools, gyms and study areas. Every Nest unit will be delivered fully furnished and ready to let out.

“We have an ambitious programme at this transformational community during the course of 2021 and look forward to delivering an exceptional experience for a new generation of students in Sharjah,” he adds.