Interbeton tops out hotels on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Dutch builder Royal BAM Group said its unit Interbeton Abu Dhabi LLC and Aldar Properties PJSC celebrated the construction topping out ceremony of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Staybridge Apartments on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The home of the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Hotel development celebrated building topping out, signifying the construction on the highest point of the 14 storey concrete structure. The reinforced concrete structure topped out with more than 45,000 m³ of concrete and approximately 8,700 tons of reinforced steel in less than ten months. The building envelope is in excess of 30,000m2 of Monocouche render.

A ceremony celebrating the milestone and saluting the efforts of the Interbeton team and consultant (Kann Finch Group) team over the last ten months, with Interbeton over this period achieving 2.3 million man hours without accident (LTI) and have been twice voted Safest Contractor on Yas Island, was held at the project site with principle attendee being property developer Aldar Properties PJSC, represented by Paul Bell, Managing Director of Aldar Hotels and Hospitality.
Jon Cooke, Managing Director of Monocouche Render Supplies LLP commenting on the project said, "When we were contacted by John Hassock at Kann Finch about the possibility of specifying Monocouche Render for this high profile project, we had no hesitation in assisting Kann Finch with the technical information they required, our manufacturing partner in the region assisted us with quality control of the raw materials from their state of the art factory in Dubai. We look forward to a continued relationship with Alder and Kann Finch for future projects".

Two further Arabian style condominiums are under construction at All Badia Hillside Village offering a choice of one, two and threebedroom apartments. Al of five towers will have a total of 800 units. Within three years Dubai Festival City will be completing the retail resort at Festival Centre.

The Octagon to shape upin City of Arabia
The Octagon was launched by the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group, owners of City of Arabia, Dubai. It was officially unveiled at Cityscape Dubai. The Octagon is a 50 storey, $5 bn retail, residential, commercial and entertainment destination. In addition to its attention grabbing eight sides, it offers 32 levels of commercial and 18 levels of residential space, as well as studio and onebedroom apartments ranging from 614 to 4,000 sq ft. A number of duplex penthouses are also included.

Aqaar to launch Phase 2 of Ajman One
Aqaar Properties LLC is planning to launch Phase 2 of its maiden project Dh 2.7 bn `Ajman One', the premier residential, commercial and hospitality complex and will also unveil Aqaar's inaugural luxury project, which will be the first water front development in Ajman. "Ajman is transforming from a quiet emirate into a vibrant and progressive tourism and business destination," said Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaim,Chairman, Municipality and Planning Department, Ajman. Phase 2 is strategically located in the heart of Ajman's newest free zone  the Ajman One business district. Ajman One's Phase 2, as an integrated commercial and hospitality complex, consists of three freehold office towers, a convention centre, and a four star business hotel with serviced apartments.

Retail avenue `The Walk' launched
Dubai Retail, a subsidiary of Dubai Properties Group and a member of Dubai Holding, has launched The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai's first outdoor retail avenue by the sea. The 1.7 km long shopping promenade currently hosts nearly 170 retailers and is set to soon reach the 305 mark. The Walk hosts a spectrum of outlets in food and beverage, home furnishing, décor and art galleries, men, women and children's apparel, fashion and accessories, health and cosmetics, jewellery, culture, leisure and sports, supermarkets, as well as a variety of services.

One Business Bay and Bayswater shaping up
Omniyat Properties has reached completion of structure in its first two commercial projects  One Business Bay and; Aquitainia to be completed by 2012 Select Group has launched its Dh 5.5 bn private island development, Aquitainia, on The World archipelago promoted by Nakheel. Aquitainia, which combines the islands of France and Spain, was recently acquired by Select Group in a 50/50 joint venture with the UK based Select Property.The development is a collection of 816 units, ranging from one and twobedroom suites, threebedroom penthouses, land and water villas, all offering incredible views. In addition, a 75room boutique hotel, which will be operated by a fivestar internationally renowned hotel brand, will service the suites, penthouses and villas spread across the islands. Aquitainia, which will be spread over 1 mn sq ft across the two islands, is due for completion in 2012.

The Palm Golden Mile aptly named as it stretches for a  full  mile  along  the golden sands of the Palm Jumeirah,is by no means a standard development Main contractor Al Shafar General Contracting (ASGC) not only had to deal with a lack of space due to other projects on the island, but also residents already living  on  the  Palm  Jumeirah  as well as guests staying at Atlantis – a difficult task.

The Palm Golden Mile is a joint venture between Nakheel  and  IFA Hotels & Resorts FZE. WSP looked after the structural consultancy and architectural consults were DSA. The contract was awarded in February 2006 at Dh 1.04 billion but is expected to reach Dh 1.25 billion. Construction, which began in April 2006, was divided into two phases - GM (Golden Mile) 1 and GM2. GM1 comprises six buildings and is due to start handing over during the second quarter of 2009. GM2 consists of four buildings and is also due for hand over during the second quarter of 2009. The development, on the trunk of the Palm Jumeirah, was originally due to feature a canal but Nakheel felt a park would provide its customers with more public space and easier access to the island.
Maged  Rofail,  Project  Director,

ASGC, says the style of The Palm Golden Mile is more classic than modern. “The style is temporary Arabic which matches the old Dubai style,” he said.“There are one, two and three bedroom apartments as well as penthouses.”“Then there will also be a commercial area as well as are tail area including high-class restaurants. AllGRC panels and entrances have complex designs.