Construction & Real Estate

NoozzVIEW; Dubai dips toe in Thames

In what could prove to be a precursor to much greater UAE involvement in the sometimes murky waters of the historic river known to many Britons as "Father Thames," Dubai has won approval for a new £1.5 billion container port east of London at Thurrock in Essex - a site that has been used as a port since the 16th century and has two miles of river frontage.

Construction will be undertaken by DP World, the Dubai operation that recently purchased the port operation of P&O, enabling it to inherit the Thurrock site as part of its overall £3.3 billion purchase package. When the work is completed, it will enable the UK to compete with Rotterdam as a vital European distribution hub.

Dubai Ports World building one of America's largest ports

Dubai Ports World has begun construction on what is promised to be one of the largest ports in the Americas in El Callao, Peru with an initial investment of more than US$300 million. The Muelle Sur port is due to be completed in 2010 and will be capable of moving up to 1.2 million containers a year, Dubai Ports president Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said.

Plans unveiled for US$80m twisting tower

A BD30 million (US$79.5 million) freehold commercial tower, which will sport a twisted and curved shape, is to be built in Bahrain’s Seef district.

The 35-storey BFB Tower, which will be the first of its kind in Bahrain, is designed by local company Andalus Engineering Consultancy. Construction work on the towers is expected to commence shortly and will be completed within two years, says a spokesman for the developer.

Emaar.E.C awards SR1.4 billion contract to Saudi Bin Laden Group

Emaar, The Economic City (Emaar.E.C), the Tadawul-listed company developing King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), has awarded a SR1.4 billion contract to Saudi Bin Laden Group for the construction of the 16 residential towers within Bay La Sun Village - the first and fully integrated residential community - in KAEC.

ALDAR awards contracts for Coconut Island

ALDAR, the Abu Dhabi-based international property developer, announced that it has appointed RW Armstrong & Associates as Architect of Record for its Coconut Island project, a premium island resort and gated residential development located off the Abu Dhabi west coast. The project is a joint venture with National Corporation for Tourism and Hotels (NCT&H).

RW Armstrong & Associates will prepare detailed architectural and engineering designs as well as supervise the construction, ensuring that the design intent for this prestigious project is met. Completion of the project is anticipated in early 2011.

Barwa International buys mega land plot in Sudan

Barwa International - the global arm of Barwa Real Estate Company - purchased a 3 million square metre-land plot in Sudan to house a residential and commercial development.

The plot is located in Al Jazeera Province, one of the biggest governorates in Sudan, a 30-minute drive from the Khartoum International Airport at the heart of the Sudanese capital.

Stunning projects to redefine skyline

Dubai is set to re-define its skyline with a number of super towers that will rise more than 100 floors and 600 metres, with a combined estimated value of AED25 billion (US$7 billion).

The projects, to be announced later this year, will be part of a new master-planned development that will raise Dubai's profile on urban development and master-planning.

Kingdom involved in new cities' projects in Egypt

Saudi Arabia, along with four other countries, is participating in building new cities in Egypt, according to Egyptian Minister of Trade & Industry Rashid M. Rashid. Six contracts were recently closed between the Egyptian government and investors from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan and Qatar to develop 18 million square metres to serve 4,697 projects totalling E£26 billion in investments costs, in areas such as the 10th of Ramadan City and Burj El Arab.

Saudi company to invest in US$250m construction project in West Bank

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, opening an investment conference, urged foreign business people to spend their money in the Palestinian economy in the service of peace, but warned of a bumpy road to recovery.

The conference drew hundreds of foreign investors, along with their Palestinian counterparts, who are seeking partners for 109 projects worth nearly US$2 billion (€1.3 billion). Deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars (or euros) were announced during a three-day conference this month, including housing projects involving companies from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

IFA Hotels & Nakheel take on US$1bn project

In its second deal with UAE-based realty developer Nakheel, IFA Hotels acquired two land plots situated by the Kingdom of Sheba resort on the Jumeirah Palm Island in Dubai for US$1 billion. The newly acquired plots will be developed as an extension to the Kingdom of Sheba resort.

Bawadi launches AED200bn milestone project

Bawadi, a member of Tatweer and the world's largest hospitality and retail destination, unveiled its massive infrastructure and internal transportation master plans for the AED200 billion milestone development.

According to the master plan, the 10-kilometre hospitality boulevard will be divided into five geographic areas, reflecting unique connectivity features that will link its intricate transportation network with the building interfaces.

Over US$30bn invested in 120 Gulf hotel projects: expert

With investment in excess of US$30 billion in more than 120 new multiple hotel projects across the Arabian Gulf and Egypt, suppliers to the region's hospitality sector can expect unparalleled business opportunities over the next ten years, says a leading industry observer.

"The sheer scale of hotel projects across the region underlines the massive potential for new business for the suppliers to the hospitality," said Maggie Moore, Exhibition Director of The Hotel Show 2008 taking place at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 8-10 June 2008.