Dredging work starts on The Wave
01 December 2007
The reclamation process for the marina at The Wave in Oman has begun and dredging is being carried out in full swing, it was revealed at a recent roadshow for the project in Dubai.
The roadshow was part of similar events planned for the markets of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar in a bid to create greater awareness about the project’s popularity and its safety in the wake of Cyclone Gonu which struck with devastating effect earlier this year.
Addressing mediapersons in Dubai on the first leg of their regional tour, Wael Ahmed Al Lawati, deputy CEO, The Wave, Muscat said this $2.4 billion project would be protected by a breakwater that would be able to withstand such storms.
“During Cyclone Gonu, the danger lay in not so much from the sea but rather inland for managing the flood water coming down from the mountains which needed to drain away,” he said, adding that The Wave project will be protected by a breakwater that has been designed by Atkins and is being built in a joint venture between Boskalis Westminster and SNE, a Lebanese company that is extremely experienced in such marine works.
This breakwater is scheduled for completion within one-and-half year and should be able to withstand the ferocity of a storm that is expected once in 250 years, Al Lawati said while pointing out that storm severity is measured in two ways: impact and frequency of occurrence.
He said construction of The Wave, which was launched in 2004 as the flagship project of the Oman government, was going on in full swing with about $500 million worth of construction contracts being awarded for carrying out the different works.
The Wave includes a Greg Norman 18-hole golf course, 300-berth marina, three luxury hotels including a Fairmont and a Kempinski, villas, retail and restaurant outlets, he said, adding that the construction and release of residences in this project was continuing with final completion set for 2013.
The project will have variously themed villas – guided by an Omani influence – designed by architects from Greece, Italy and Oman.
The Wave’s in-house team will undertake the interior design of the villas, which will comprise three, four and five-bedrooms of various sizes with suite bathrooms and quality fixtures. The USP (unique selling proposition) of the project is that it enjoys 6 km of natural beach, a signature golf course, international hotels and a marina and is quite close to the city.
The architects and designers for the villas include ER International (Carlo Santini of Italy), Meletitiki (Alexandros N Tombazis and Associates Architects and Engineers of Greece) and Triad Oman Consultants International, besides Caribbean-based OBM International doing the apartments.
The retail component of the project will extend only to 7,000 sq m, since the project focus is on the residential and leisure aspect, says a spokesman for the project.
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