Al Rostamani Tower ... under construction.
Sky class
Khatib & Alami, which has established a niche in the high-rise market in the UAE with landmarks such as the Fairmont and The Tower, continues to create stunners such as the Rose Rotana, Rostamani and Al Marsa towers.
01 July 2004
For over four decades now, the drawing boards of the Lebanon-based architectural and engineering consultancy firm Khatib & Alami (K&A) have been redefining skylines across the Middle East.
K&A – ranked among the top 100 international design firms as published by Engineering News Record (ENR) – is currently supervising enabling work on the $50 million Rose Rotana Suites Tower in Dubai, which is expected to be a striking addition to the emirate’s rapidly changing skyline.
A full design team of more than 30 qualified architects, engineers and CAD operators are working on the final design right now, which is expected to complete by this August, says Mohammed R Fakhira, who is an associate and the head of architectural and deputy head of the design divisions. “We are committed to this project and are extending all efforts towards its successful completion,” he adds.
As the name suggests, the tower will have a rose-like design structure, and is considered the tallest furnished residential suites in the world. The 333 m tower comprises 72 floors with a total of 482 keys. Adjacent to the tower will be the parking structure topped with a swimming pool and a health club. The two buildings are connected with a linking bridge at the health club level.
The total built-up area of the tower and the parking building is 61,800 sq m.
Other projects that K&A is currently supervising are the 54-storey Al Rostamani Tower and 62-storey Al Marsa Tower, both at Dubai Marina.
“In the UAE, we have established a niche in the construction of high-rises and projects for the hospitality sector,” Fakhira points out.
Elsewhere in the Gulf and around the world, K&A is currently working on several other projects including:
- Bab El Faraj Sheraton Hotel, Aleppo, Syria which will be completed this year;
- The MovenPick Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, work on which will be launched soon at a cost of $30 million;
- Al Aryam Tower in Doha, Qatar, to be completed in 2006 at a cost of about $26 million;
- The headquarters of the Eastern Province Cement Company (EPCC) at Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, worth $12 million;
- Several hospitals and clinics at various locations in Oman which are under construction; and
- Green Village Hotel Complex in Sudan.
K&A is a consulting firm founded in 1959 in Lebanon as a general partnership by Mounir El Khatib and Partners. The firm, as we know it today, was established when Dr Zuheir Alami joined Mounir El Khatib as his sole partner. The practice currently operates in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Turkmenistan and California (US). K&A employs about 1,300 engineers, architects, planners, technicians, and administrators.
Technology is incorporated in almost all engineering, planning and architectural services provided by K&A, which is equipped with its own Information Technology department – that trains engineers, technical and management staff in the use of the state-of-the-art interactive programs for all its engineering and management applications – and a Geographic Information Systems Services.
In-house expertise and the recruitment of the brightest young minds have enabled it to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving environment, says Fakhira. It maintains close relations with its clients to give form to the client’s vision and ensure projects are completed within the time frame and budget set out.
The ISO-certified firm provides consulting services in architectural, planning, interior design, structural, electrical, mechanical, transportation, environmental, industrial and process engineering, oil and gas, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Information Technology (IT) and project management.
