UAE surfaces in The WorldDubai: The island representing the UAE in Nakheel’s ambitious project – The World – has broken the surface of the Arabian Gulf in less than six months of construction. The UAE island itself will cover a total land area of 17,396 sq m, have a circumference of 501 m and a landmass of 600,000 cu m.

Organisers of the Architecture+ Awards 2004, have extended the registration date for entries until the end of this month due to an overwhelming response, says Rashid Taqui, publisher of Architecture+.

Less than two months after the announcement of the winning design for the bridge connecting The Palm, Jumeirah to the mainland, the outline of this spectacular development is beginning to take shape.

Tenders are to be floated for the Dh20 million ($5.45 million) Abu Dhabi Al Jazeera Hospital expansion project. The Central Hospital will be demolished in eight months to create space for the expansion, said a top official.The project will include an outpatient clinic, emergency unit, and a dialysis and kidney centre.

Sharjah government has launched a new Dh100 million  ($27.22 million) road project – a five-km freeway – that is expected to come up by the year-end. The project will provide a link between Al Nahda Road and Junction 8 on Emirates Road, allowing motorists  easy access in and out of Sharjah.

The Ras Al Khaimah Government is studying possibilities of setting up a railway system to transport rocks and landfill aggregate from local quarries to neighbouring emirates. Also under consideration is laying an alternative road to ferry the rocks.

A massive dome-shaped structure is coming up at the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ), which the developers consider could make its way into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Rajiv Khanna and Associates (RKA), a leading Indian architecture practice, which specialises in recreation and leisure design work, is opening a representative office in Sharjah as a part of its expansion plans for the region.

The Dubai Autodrome and Business Park, which will bring premier motor sports events to the emirate, was officially launched recently. Dubai Autodrome will be the region’s first fully-integrated automotive and motorsports facility complete with 5.

The Technip-Cosmoplast joint venture, signed in March of 2003, finally came to fruition last month, following the official inauguration of the Coflexlite Abu Dhabi facilities by Dr Mohmuned Khalfan Bin Kharbash, the UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industrial Affairs.

Al Hamra for Realty Development has recently launched its $270 million Al Hamra Village, a real estate and tourism project on Red Island in Ras Al Khaimah. The plans for the development were designed by a consortium of design practices in Dubai, led by premier architectural practice – Design and Architecture Bureau (DAR Consult).

Piling work has started on the Waterfront Centre, Dubai Festival City’s (DFC) 2.5 million sq ft retail, hospitality and entertainment hub, following the excavation of over 800,000 cu m of material to create space to house underground parking and services. The Dh52 million ($14.