Saudi Arabia is planning an $800M social housing project in partnership with the private sector, according to reports in the local media.The new residential units will be handed to widows and orphans in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, and charities. The Kingdom is currently tackling a shortage of housing — in December 2015, the Housing Ministry said that the country will need an extra 3M houses by 2025.The Saudi Arabia government is urging investors to finance the project via a build-operate-transfer (BOT) or public-private partnership.Under the BOT, investors would fund the construction and receive financial returns from the sale or rent of the homes.
Developer Nakheel has released construction tenders for two new hotels in Dubai.The two, 3-star hotels will add a total of 670 rooms to the company’s hospitality portfolio.A 295-room hotel will be built in a 17,000sq m site at Dragon City — a shopping, residential and leisure destination — and will feature a restaurant, coffee shop and gym.The 15-storey, 375-room hotel, to be built at Ibn Battuta Mall, will include an all-day restaurant, gym and pool deck.The buildings are set to complement existing hotels at the two retail hubs, where major expansions will continue. The Dragon City expansion includes 204,000sq m of retail space, two residential towers containing 1,120 apartments and a car park facility with 6,200 spaces. Once completed, it will increase the size of the city to more than 1M sq m.The 400,000sq m expansion of Ibn Battuta features a 93,000sq m mall, a new cinema complex and a 7,000–space car park.
UAE-based developer Nakheel has awarded an AED1.5bn ($408.3M) contract to Dhabi Contracting for the construction of its Al Khail Avenue retail, dining and entertainment hub in Dubai.The 186,000sq m Al Khail Avenue has more than 112,000sq m of leasable space, 70% of which is already booked. It will feature cafes and restaurants, and a 4,000-space multi-storey car park, which can be accessed directly from Al Khail Road.The developer it is also adding a 252-room hotel to the complex. The 18-storey hotel will feature an all-day restaurant, coffee shop, lounge, outdoor terrace, pool deck gymnasium and car park. It will be directly connected to Al Khail Avenue and its 350 shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets. Earthworks at the site — alongside Dubai’s Al Khail Road on the edge of the Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) community — finished in June 2016 and construction work is scheduled to commence in October 2016. The development is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2019.
Emaar Properties has unveiled new residential towers in the Opera District in Downtown Dubai.The “Act One | Act Two” residences are housed in 52- and 46-storey towers with views of the Burj Khalifa and Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, and located close to the Dubai Mall. The towers will feature 718 residential units as well as retail units and cafes, a health club, a spa and swimming pools.Emaar Properties’ managing director Ahmad Al Matrooshi said: “Act One | Act Two are truly a defining destination of choice for all culturally inclined as they now have the unique value proposition of living right next door to Dubai Opera.“A premium development that celebrates the vibrant cultural lifestyle of the city, the residences bring a one-of-a-kind lifestyle choice to the city.“The international launch of the project underlines the strong demand from discerning investors who cherish the inspired way of life that Act One | Act Two brings.”The residential towers will be launched internationally on a sales event in London on Wednesday, 10 August, at Harrods, followed by the Dubai launch on Thursday, 11 August, at Emaar Sales Centres.
Construction firm Al Futtaim Carillion has been selected as the preferred tenderer for the construction of the $1bn Reem Mall project in Abu Dhabi.The project, developed by NREC in partnership with UPAC, will deliver 186,000sq m of leasable area. It will feature about 450 stores, including 85 food and beverage outlets and a range of family-focused entertainment offerings. Reem Mall is set to discuss the contract details with Al Futtaim Carillion exclusively, with the aim of finalising an agreement for the mall’s construction.Abu Dhabi-based Dutch Foundation is currently carrying out the enabling works, which involves excavation, lateral restraint systems, and dewatering. Reem Mall’s chief operating officer Shane Eldstrom said: “The announcement marks yet another milestone for Reem Mall and comes on the back of final permission to construct received from Abu Dhabi Municipality earlier this month.“Al Futtaim Carillion was selected as the preferred tenderer due to its strong track record of delivering significant high quality projects in the region, and its team of construction experts. We look forward to successfully completing the tendering process.”Al Futtaim Carillion’s managing director Andrew Ridley-Barker said: “Al Futtaim Carillion prides itself on delivering some of the most notable projects in the region. We hope to have the process concluded shortly and deliver this important retail project to the people of Abu Dhabi.”
Al Jaber Building has won a contract worth AED370m ($100m) from the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) for the construction of Jawaher Saadiyat villa complex in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai-based healthcare provider Thumbay Group has announced the construction of 6 hospitals and 12 clinics in the UAE and beyond. The healthcare facilities, part of Thumbay’s AED1.2bn ($326M) expansion plan, will be located in the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and India, as well as in other countries. The group’s healthcare and retail division vice president Akbar Moideen Thumbay has said that the group expects to build 420 new medical facilities — including hospitals, medical universities, clinics and pharmacies — over the next four years. The number of staff is also expected to increase from the current 4,000 employees to around 15,000 by 2021.
EMAS Chiyoda Subsea in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE) has won a contract from Saudi Aramco for the development of the second phase of the Hasbah Offshore Gas Field.Under the $1.6bn contract, EMAS Chiyoda Subsea and LTHE will provide engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) services for the gas field development located off the coast of Saudi Arabia.The project will help Saudi Aramco’s plans to supply an additional 2,500M standard cubic feet daily of clean natural gas through the Fadhili Gas Plant.Under the contract, the consortium will be responsible for the construction of two streams of three wellhead platform topsides, one tie-in platform with flare platforms and bridges tied together by umbilicals and in-field pipelines.It will also include interconnections of trunk lines to transport produced gas from the offshore gas field to the Fadhili Gas Plant. Simultaneously, fibre optic and other cables for power and communication networks will be installed.The engineering and fabrication component of the project has commenced and the offshore execution phase is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2017. The project is set to be completed over a period of three and half years.The joint venture also signed a six-year long-term agreement — with the option of extending it for another six years — with Saudi Aramco in June 2015 to execute offshore projects.
Saudi Aramco has signed four engineering contracts for the construction of its SAR5bn ($13.3bn) Fadhili gas-processing project in Saudi Arabia. The company has contracted Larsen & Tubro for the project’s offshore facilities; Saudi KAD for the downstream; Saudi Electric Company and Engie for the combined heat & power (CHP); and Mohammed I. Al Subeae & Sons Investment Holding Company for the residential camp. The project will become a key component of the country’s master gas system, processing gas from both onshore and offshore fields. The project will process a daily total of 2.5bn standard cubic feet of non-associated gas, including 2bn standard cb ft of Hasbah offshore gas and 500M standard cb ft of Khursaniyah onshore gas. Saudi Aramco believes that the project will help boost production and supply of clean-burning natural gas, lessening dependence on oil for power generation. The new plant along with the company’s two other gas projects, Wasit and Midyan, will add more than 5bn standard cb ft of non-associated gas processing capacity. The project is set to be complete by 2019 and will create about 4,500 jobs in the region.
Abu Dhabi-based developer Aldar Properties has awarded contracts worth AED440M ($120M) to National Projects and Construction (NPC) for its Nareel Island and Al Merief communities in Abu Dhabi.Nareel Island is located on the coast in Al Bateen and is spread over two islands. It will include 148 villa plots, a lagoon, a marina, a clubhouse, open parks, private beaches, as well as pontoons and gardens. The earthworks and marine works tender packages have been awarded in October 2015. Reclamation work for the lagoon has also started, and dredging work on the southern island is complete.Al Merief project is located in Khalifa City and features 283 land plots. The villas will be located within recreational facilities and sheltered gardens, in close proximity to the community's parks, mosques, an Aldar Academies-operated school, and neighbourhood retail centre. The development’s conceptual and preliminary designs were completed in 2015.Aldar Properties’ chief development officer Talal Al Dhiyebi said: "As one of the most exclusive developments in the region, Nareel Island truly brings a new level of luxury to Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, Al Merief is set to become a welcoming, impressive new address to a burgeoning area of the capital.“With the appointment of NPC, we are on track for the completion of both developments in 2017."Work on both projects is expected to be delivered over a 16 month-period.
Dubai Municipality has approved the construction of an AED20bn ($5.4bn) sustainable city in Dubai.The Desert Rose City, which was first announced in 2014, will be constructed in the Al Ruwayyah area. It will cover an area of 4,000ha and accommodate 160,000 residents.The development will deliver 20,000 plots for building luxury homes and 10,000 affordable housing units.The city, designed in the shape of a desert rose, will feature schools, shopping centres, clinics, hospitals, mosques, a police station and other services. It will also have resources to provide more than 40,000cb m of potable water.Dubai Municipality planning department director Dawood Al Hajeri said the city will produce 200MW of electricity using solar panels on the rooftops of houses and other buildings.The first phase of the development is anticipated to be complete before Dubai hosts the World Expo 2020.
Dubai South has awarded AED1bn ($272M) contracts for project developments in Dubai’s Residential District.Dubai South’s Residential District will feature 10,000 residential units, including villas, townhouses and apartments, accommodating about 35,000 residents. It will also include schools, nurseries, hospitals, retail outlets, food and beverage options, a post office, a swimming academy and a sports centre.Atkins Global, Studio International Architects and RNL Design have been selected to supervise the masterplan and product design for the mixed-use project, which will be delivered in phases. UAE-based Al Nasr is currently working on the first section of the District’s infrastructure, which will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2016. The company has also secured a contract for the construction of infrastructure in Dubai South’s Logistics District.Tristar Engineering & Construction has secured an infrastructure construction contract for the remaining areas of the first phase — scheduled to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2017.Parsons and Kele Constructions have also been awarded a contract to build the first phase of Sakany Staff Village, which will accommodate 20,000 residents by 2020.Additionally, UAE-based City Diamond Contracting has won a contract to build a multi-purpose aerospace supply chain facility in Dubai South’s Aviation District.Ahmed Al Ansari, Dubai South’s acting CEO, said: "We, at Dubai South, are excited to be working with the leading companies in the construction industry to help create a solid foundation for the future of Dubai South residents."This entirely new and incomparable model of urban living puts people first, while celebrating nature and diverse populations, which come together to form a thriving and healthy community."
INSHA Contracting and Trading has won a QAR1bn ($274.6M) contract from Barwa Real Estate for the construction of the first phase of the QAR1.5bn ($412M) Motor City project in Qatar.‘Madinat Al Muwatar’ — to be located on Rawdat Rashed Road, near the intersection with Salwa Road — will house various services related to the sale, purchase and maintenance of used vehicles.The project’s first phase will be constructed on a 215,600sq m site and will include 60 car showrooms with a total area of 18,500sq m, 176 residential apartments, and 10 commercial shops and workshops.The development will also include three electrical substations, internal roads, a petrol station, potable water, firefighting, irrigation, sewage, storm water and CCTV networks, as well as all related services, such as pump rooms and tanks with a total build up area of 34,000sq m. The first phase is expected to be built in 12 months.
Jazan Gas Projects Company (JGPC) joint venture has started construction on a $2.1bn industrial gas complex in Saudi Arabia.The new facility will serve Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery and terminal. Upon completion, the complex will supply a total of 75,000t of industrial gas daily — comprising 20,000t of oxygen and 55,000t of nitrogen — to Saudi Aramco’s refinery for 20 years.The gas complex will feature six air separation trains and require 600MW of power to operate. JGPC’s chairman Mohammad Abunayyan said: "Since the contract was awarded, we are very proud to have demonstrated outstanding infrastructure financing which has enabled us to be well advanced with the build schedule."We have also recruited a highly skilled team to manage operations and underpin our values for exceptional quality and customer service."Construction on-site started a month earlier than planned, initial drawings have been issued and we have a clear plan of mobilisation to Jazan from this date."The facility will create about 100 direct local jobs once operational.
Fujairah National Construction (FNC) has won an AED700M ($191M) contract from Mag 5 Property Development (MAG 5 PD) joint venture for a housing community project in Dubai South. The MAG 5 Boulevard development will include 1,172 residential units, retail space, and food and beverage, leisure and entertainment amenities.The 74,000sq m project, located within Dubai South’s residential area ‘The Village’ and adjacent to the Expo 2010 site and Dubai Parks, will be surrounded by running and cycling tracks, playgrounds, and community and retail centres. Talal Moafaq Al Gaddah, MAG 5 PD’s chief executive, said: “FNC has an enviable portfolio for the delivery of premium real estate developments in the UAE. “We are confident in their ability to bring MAG 5 Boulevard to the market within two years and in doing so, create the ultimate quality affordable living in one of the city’s most sought-after locations, Dubai South.”The project is set to break ground this month.
Singapore-based construction services provider Swiber Holdings has won three new contracts for projects with a combined value of $215M in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.The company secured an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract from a European oil major to replace pipeline in Qatar — marking the group’s first offshore construction project in the Middle East. The engineering phase of the project has already started and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2017.Swiber Holdings, as part of a consortium, will carry out EPCI of two wellhead platforms, associated pipelines and tie-ins for a project off the coast of Myanmar for a major Southeast Asian oil and gas company. The project begins immediately and is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2018. The customer has the option to award an additional two wellhead platforms.Under the third contract, the company will be responsible for the provision of transport and installation services for a full field development project in the waters off Vietnam. The firm has recently commenced the task, which is targeted for completion in the third quarter of 2016.
Dubai Parks and Resorts has started construction on the first Six Flags branded theme park in Dubai.The new park will be Dubai Parks and Resorts’ fourth theme park alongside Motiongate Dubai, Legoland Dubai, and Bollywood Parks Dubai.The AED2.6bn ($707M) project will be built on a 325,000sq m area with an opening day footprint of 186,000sq m.Six Flags Dubai will feature 27 rides and attractions for all ages across six themed zones. It will also include at least three world record breaking rides apart from six roller coasters, four aerial attractions, a 350m river rapids ride and three performance spaces.Dubai Parks and Resorts’ CEO Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi said: “We are delighted to announce that construction has commenced on the region’s first Six Flags-branded theme park.“This is the fourth theme park at our destination alongside Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Legoland Dubai and it will help us strengthen the appeal of Dubai Parks and Resorts as a must visit destination in the region.“Six Flags is a very successful brand in other parts of the world and the introduction of this exciting theme park will further establish Dubai Parks and Resorts as the region’s largest leisure and entertainment destination.”The park is expected to open in late-2019.
Damac Properties has unveiled a collection of colourful villas in Dubai.The project, named Akoya Imagine, is located at the heart of the Akoya Oxygen — a 5M sq m master development that will showcase the greenest living spaces in Dubai.In Phase 1, the three-bedroom villas will be released with starting prices of AED1.2M ($326,713) spread across a three-year payment plan. Homes will also benefit from free service charges for five years.DAMAC Properties’ managing director Ziad El Chaar said: “Akoya Imagine is targeted towards a new type of buyer – young, professional and savvy to the lifestyle and financial benefits of buying in an international golf course community. “This type of community is proven to consistently yield higher returns than a purely residential one and there is a limited supply in Dubai. Combined with the Tiger Woods Design element, a villa in AKOYA Imagine presents a very lucrative investment, not to mention an extremely attractive home.”The units will go on sale on Saturday, 9th of July.
UAE-based Arabian Construction Company (ACC) has been awarded a contract to build Mashreq Bank new headquarters in Dubai.The 151m-tall tower will be built within a period of 28 months and will feature four basements, a ground level and 35 additional storeys.The L-shaped structure, with a square top crown by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s Chicago office, will cover a plot area of 4,868sq m and a total built-up area of 71,292sq m. Ghassan Merehbi, ACC’s chairman, said: “We are delighted to be working with one of the best-known banking industry names in the Middle East, and to be able to add Mashreq Bank headquarters to our portfolio of noteworthy projects across the UAE.”Mashreq will relocate from its current headquarters in Deira, where it has been operating since its establishment in 1967, to the new building as soon as it is completed. HE AbdulAziz Al Ghurair, Mashreq’s CEO, said: “The planned tower is testament to the growth we have witnessed over the last 50 years, which has in many ways mirrored that of both Dubai and the UAE.“In a short space of time, the country has established itself as an international gateway for trade and banking, and we’re confident in its ability to maintain its momentum, allowing us to continue investing in our business and talent across the country and wider region.”Construction work is expected to commence in December 2016, with its completion expected in April 2019.
Whaha Capital subsidiary Waha Land has signed an AED426M ($116M) financial deal with Emirates Islamic Bank for Stage 2 of its Almarkaz light industrial real estate project in the United Arab Emirates.The 1.5sq km development is located 25km south of Abu Dhabi city. Stage 2 of the project, to be built in two packages, will include an additional 187,000sq m of premium industrial and logistics facilities, as well as retail and commercial amenities.Package 2a, to be delivered by Ali & Sons Contracting L.L.C, consists of 92,500sq m of industrial and logistics facilities, and retail and commercial amenities. The first buildings will be available for occupancy in June 2017, while the entire package is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2017.Further development will include flexible industrial building sizes, fitted industrial units, warehouse and storage facilities, commercial offices and food beverage outlets.Hazem Saeed Al Nowais, Waha Land’s chief executive officer, said: “Almarkaz has proven extremely popular because of the quality of the facility, and its excellent location as a hub in transport infrastructure.“This success has enabled the project to achieve attractive financing. Building on the success of Stage 1, we are moving ahead with our planned development, which aims to meet the needs of the Abu Dhabi manufacturing and logistics market in addition to SME’s.” Almarkaz’s Stage 1 comprises 90,000sq m of industrial and logistic units, which are already fully leased.