Al Latifia Trading and Contracting of Saudi Arabia has been busy working on contracts for prestigious palaces and several luxury villas within the Kingdom.

''The company recently handed over, to a reputed client, a prestigious villa, built on a site of 6,500 sq m on top of a mountain in the Wadi Hanifa valley,'' says Zaid Al Khudairi, deputy general manager of the Riyadh-based firm. ''The main villa is a three-storey building with an annex occupying a total built-up area of 1,900 sq m. The mountain cliff was used for hardscaping and landscaping.''

He continues: ''Among other current projects within the residential sector, the company is working on a luxurious palace coming up on a site of 15,600 sq m. The palace consists of a two-storey main villa and annex buildings for servants. The total built-up area is 5,000 sq m. In addition, the project has a swimming pool and gymnasium and hardscaping and landscaping.

''Two other luxury villa projects are under way. One is two-storey villa with a total built-up area of 2,500 sq m including an annex, external works and a swimming pool, occupying a site area of 4,800 sq m. The other is being built on an area of 4,282 sq m. It has a basement, ground floor and first floor with a total built-up area of 1,744 sq m, including an annex, external works and a swimming pool.''

Al Latifia is also working on the construction of three villa compounds spread across an area of 5,613 sq m. ''Each villa consists of a basement with an indoor swimming pool, a ground floor and a first floor,'' the spokesman says. ''The total built-up area is 1,820 sq m per villa, in addition to site works and landscaping.''

Al Latifia has also had its share of work in the commercial sector. This year, the company completed and handed over a new building for Dar Al Youm for Press, Printing and Publication. ''The building had a built-up area of 14,560 sq m consisting of a basement level and six storeys above ground,'' the spokesman says.

Last month, Al Latifia handed over a rehabilitation complex for disabled persons at King Fahad Park in Dammam. The complex has a built-up area of 17,920 sq m consisting of a main building, a building for the prosthetic unit, a mosque, a water reclaiming station and site works.

Al Latifia is also presently constructing: