Gulf Construction Online

UAE Focus

UPDATE

01 October 2003

Kerzner bags $650 million deal
Dubai: Real estate developer Kerzner International Limited has been selected to develop a $650 million Arabian-inspired resort in Dubai, according to the company.

The resort will start off with 1,000 rooms and a water theme park and will be built on Palm Island, Jumeirah - one of two islands that are being constructed off the coast of Dubai - said the company. Kerzner said it would partner with Nakheel, an entity owned by the government of Dubai.

The agreement provides additional land for future development, which allows the resort called Atlantis, The Palm to expand to at least 2,000 rooms.

Construction is expected to begin before the end of 2004 and is expected to be completed by early 2007, said the company. Kerzner and Nakheel have agreed to invest a total of $120 million in the form of equity financing to the project, said Kerzner.

Dubai finalising LRT study
Dubai: The Dubai municipality is finalising a Dh46.5 million ($12.6 million) consultancy study for the Light Rail Train or LRT project.

This includes implementation of the project, preparing budgets, specifying designs, plans and technical specifications, tendering, and inviting reputed companies to submit their quotations for the same, studying them and picking up the most suitable offer. Last year the municipality estimated the total cost of the LRT project at Dh2.68 billion.

The LRT will have two lines. The first one, called the Red Line, will stretch from the Sharjah border to Jebel Ali. The second, the Green Line, will stretch from Dubai International Airport to Al Ghubaiba. The main station will be in Al Ittihad Square in Bur Dubai. Each kilometre of the elevated system will cost Dh100 million, but this will be less in the case of subway or ground level stretch of track.

Developers told to be eco-sensitive
Dubai: Middle East property developers should adopt an eco-friendly building code and be accountable for the environmental impact of projects, said a pioneer of 'green' buildings.

Top British architect William Alsop also urged regional developers to offer 'smart' architectural solutions that anticipate and satisfy long-term economic goals based on sustainable tenets.

Alsop was speaking ahead of Cityscape 2003, Dubai's international commercial architecture, property management and development exhibition and conference. Cityscape 2003, organised by IIR, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, this month (October 18 to 21).

Licence issued for 42-storey building
Dubai: Dubai Municipality has issued a licence to build a 42-storey building on the Shaikh Zayed Road in Dubai Marina area.

An official at the Building and Housing Department said that the building will have residential apartments and shops in addition to a large car park.

The building would have 188 apartments including 80 single-bedroom and 58 two-bedroom flats and 50 apartments with three or more bedrooms.

Sharjah's new fish market complete
Sharjah: The Sharjah municipality has completed several new building and expansion projects that form a part of its master plan for the development of the emirate's facilities and high-quality services.

The latest has been the completion of a new fish market in Khor Fakkan, which covers 750 sq m and includes 17 shops. The market is located near the area's fruit and vegetable market where a new administration block was officially opened five months ago. The two-storey building was built over an area of 1,872 sq m.

The expansion of the Sharjah National Park is near completion following the construction of six sports playgrounds, green areas and a designated place for barbecues and picnics.

The sports facilities at the park include two football fields, two basketball playgrounds and two more volleyball courts.

The municipality's improvement plan will add 32,000 sq m of greenery in the form of playgrounds, in addition to another 90,000 sq m of general green space in the emirate.

Marina project halfway through
Dubai: About half of Dubai Marina's properties, a flagship project of Emaar Properties, is ready for occupation. Of the six towers, the Al Mass, Fairooz and Al Murjan Towers have been marketed. Construction of the remaining three high-rise towers is well under way and will be ready in March 2004.

The Marina represents a 3.5-km-long waterway and an 11 km waterfront. When complete, Phase 1 will consist of 1,026 deluxe waterfront apartments, 64 luxury villas and up to 40 retail outlets built on a two-storey car park podium structure.

$19.8m projects undertaken in UAE
Dubai: Projects worth Dh73 million ($19.8 million) involving the construction of a bridge and a depressed roadway, a utility bridge and tunnel structure, various access roads, storm water drainage, electrical, telephone, irrigation and landscaping works, have been undertaken in the UAE. The projects will be completed by September 2004.

Tunnel to link airport with Mussafah
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi government has begun work on a new 280-m-long tunnel that will link Abu Dhabi International Airport with Mussafah.

According to the project manager, Engineer Ahmed Al Qasabi, the tunnel will be completed a year from now. The tunnel is being constructed for one-way traffic from the airport to Mussafah, bypassing the Abu Dhabi Bridges Interchange that links Abu Dhabi city, the airport, Mussafah and Al Ain.

Smart building project launched
Dubai: Bin Drai and Asteco Property Management have recently launched a Dh200 million ($54.4 million) smart building project on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

The 60-storey building is designed to harness the elements to best effect and will incorporate a heat refracting technology believed to be used for the first time in the Middle East. It will help the building keep cool, saving money and reducing the effects of air-conditioning on the environment, a report said.

The building will offer 15 floors of office space and 45 floors of single, double and three-bedroom apartments. The project includes the development of a park on the rear of the building with an open-air auditorium for concerts, plays and festivals. Cox Architecture Planning Design of Australia is the design architect of the project. Construction is to start immediately and the project is expected to be completed by mid 2006.

Dubai gets dedicated service centre
Dubai: ExecuJet Middle East, in partnership with Bombardier Aerospace, hopes to complete the construction of a dedicated aircraft service centre and spare parts depot at Dubai International Airport early next year.

'This joint venture is unique in that Bombardier (as an original equipment manufacturer) and ExecuJet (as a service provider) will be the first to offer full representation and support in the region,' said Horm Irani, Managing director, ExecuJet Middle East.

Global Estudios to expand
Dubai: Global Estudios, a leading European architectural firm, is set to open its Dubai office as part of its strategy to satisfy regional demand for innovative and distinctive leisure and tourism projects.

The company - which has forged a strategic alliance with Borges Architects and has plans to open offices in London, Miami, Zagreb and Hong Kong - will spearhead its move into the Middle East market by showcasing its design and consultancy services at Cityscape 2003 exhibition and conference to be held in Dubai, this month.

Global Estudios has already entered a number of regional design competitions including Dubai's as-yet-unannounced Centre of the Planet theme park.