Two key Dubai projects being developed by UAE master developer Nakheel – Dragon Towers and Palm360 – have marked key milestones with the recent appointment of contractors to move ahead with their construction.

The developer last month broke ground on the Dh713-million ($194 million) Dragon Towers within the Dragon City mixed-use community, a month after having awarded a Dh552-million contract to the UAE-based Ali Mousa & Sons Contracting for building the project.

The ground-breaking ceremony was led by Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah. The twin-building project, due  for completion in 2021, is the first residential component at Dragon City and the only high-rise in the area.

Officials from Nakheel and Bauer shake hands on the deal for Palm360.

Dragon Towers is connected by a covered bridge to the world-famous Dragon Mart and its 5,000 shops, restaurants and attractions. The project comprises two 37-storey buildings each with 571 stylish one- and two-bedroom apartments. There are also two floors of retail space, four parking levels and a sixth-floor podium level clubhouse with a 25-m swimming pool, children’s pool, restaurant, gym and tennis court.

Located on Al Awir Road, the apartments are easily accessible via a new interchange, with excellent connectivity to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and just a few minutes’ drive from Dubai International Airport. The upcoming Dubai Metro Green Line extension and new metro stations nearby will provide convenient access to the rest of the city, says the Dubai developer.

 Dragon Towers is a key component of Nakheel’s ongoing retail, hospitality and residential expansion at Dragon City, which currently comprises sister malls Dragon Mart 1 and 2 and an ibis Styles hotel. A new showroom and car -park complex and a Premier Inn hotel are in advanced stages of construction, with further expansions in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, German contractor Bauer has won a contract worth over €5.6 million ($6.46 million) for piling work at Nakheel’s iconic, 260-m Palm360 luxury hotel and residential project on the world-famous Palm Jumeirah.

The contract will involve driving almost 600 piles as far as 54 m below ground in preparation for the construction of Palm360, which will be the tallest structure on Palm Jumeirah. The piling work will be completed in four months, according to Nakheel.

The main construction tender is likely to be released in the first quarter of 2019, with project completion in 2021. Nakheel signed the deal with the Dubai branch of Bauer Spezialtiefbau on the sidelines of the recent Expo Real event in Munich, Germany.

Palm360 comprises the Raffles The Palm Dubai Hotel and Raffles Residences Palm360. The project will also boast the world’s largest sky pool, connecting the two towers 170 m above ground, as well as a host of dining, leisure and well-being facilities.

Located on Palm Jumeirah’s western crescent in 500,000 sq ft of landscaped grounds, the development will offer the ultimate in luxury living and leisure.

Complementing 125 opulent Raffles hotel rooms are 331 Raffles-branded residences, including 16 ultra-plush penthouses spanning up to 12,000 sq ft – equivalent to four tennis courts.

Each penthouse has its own infinity pool, gym, home theatre and, as the name suggests, 360-degree views of Dubai, according to Nakheel.