An integrated tourist city that will accommodate 40,000 residents in several residential districts is to be built in Sharjah at a cost of Dh18 billion ($4.9 billion).

Plans have been announced for a $500 million tourism development which will spread over an area of 1 million sq m along the Arabian Gulf coastline of Ras Al Khaimah. Saraya Islands will encompass a range of five-star hotels, lavish residences, and cultural and commercial venues that will draw tourists from all over the world.

Fujeirah Rock and Aggregates (Fujarac) – a leading quarry owner in the UAE – has taken delivery of two Atlas Copco XRHS 836 air compressors and ROC 460 PC drill rig combinations to meet increased production demands for a newly-installed second crushing line.

The sleepy little Northern Emirates have woken up and are now set to create a stir in the market with a string of big-ticket projects. Leading this charge is Sharjah, followed by Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah (see page 48), all of which have on the anvil a number of stunning projects that aim to rival those that proliferate in boomtown Dubai.