Dubai hotel tower goes up

UAE developer The First Group has broken ground on Millennium Place JVT Dubai, a 34-storey hotel which will come up in Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT).

A four-star deluxe property with 599 rooms, Millennium Place JVT Dubai will be managed by Millennium & Copthorne.

The new hotel is close to all of the city’s major roads, as well as the new aviation hub, Al Maktoum International Airport. It is scheduled to open in 2019.

 Millennium Place JVT Dubai will have specialty restaurants, a spa, business centre, and a rooftop clubhouse with pool, gym, steam rooms and sundeck.

Kone wins One Central order

Kone won an order for 32 elevators and four escalators to be installed in the three buildings of a mixed-use complex under construction in Dubai’s central business district in the UAE.

The contract for the construction of One Central was awarded to Al Futtaim Carillion, while the key designer of the project is Hopkins Architects. The office buildings are designed to be of the highest environmental standards and they are targeting Leed Platinum status.

Being built on 1.04 million sq m of land, One Central includes nearly 300,000 sq m of Grade A1 offices and retail space together with five-, four- and three-star hotels, serviced apartments and a club and lofts tower. It is expected to be completed in 2017.

200 buildings get solar panels

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has connected more than 200 buildings with photovoltaic (PV) installations as part of its Shams Dubai initiative, which is aimed at boosting the use of PV panels on rooftops to generate electricity.

This includes both residential and commercial buildings across the UAE emirate, stated the Dubai utility.

Under the scheme, the electricity from the PV panels is used onsite and the surplus is exported to Dewa’s grid. An offset between exported and imported electricity units is conducted and the customer account is settled based on this offset.

FM market to grow over 9pc

The facility management (FM) market in the UAE is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over nine per cent during 2016-2021, on account of the booming commercial sector and increasing number of residential projects, a report said.

Moreover, the growing disposable income of the working population and rapid urbanisation are few of the other major factors fuelling the growth of the UAE facility management market, added the report from TechSci Research, a management consulting firm.

Dubai to build hydroelectric plant

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) plans to build a hydroelectric power station which will be the first of its kind in the GCC region.

The project will make use of the water stored in the mountains next to Al Hattawi dam to produce 250 MW of power, with a lifespan of 60 to 80 years.

Besides the hydroelectric power station to the dam, the project also involves the development of other infrastructure in the region.

Laing O’Rourke is preferred bidder

UK-based Laing O’Rourke has been selected as the preferred bidder for a retail and hospitality project being developed by Emaar Properties and Dubai World Trade Centre, as part of the Dubai South masterplan.

Construction will begin later this year on the project, which will boast a 216,340-sq-m shopping mall with car parking and two hotels, said Laing O’Rourke.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2019, ahead of Expo 2020, which is being hosted in the Dubai South complex.

Mark Andrews, the managing director for Laing O’Rourke’s Middle East business, said: “It’s very exciting to be named the preferred bidder for the new retail and hospitality development as it will be one of the main lifestyle hubs in the heart of one of the largest developments in the Middle East.”

UAE to ready PPP framework

The UAE will prepare documentation to govern public-private partnerships (PPPs) by the year end as it encourages more private sector participation in infrastructure projects, said a report.

The documentation, which will be used instead of drafting a new PPP law, will be submitted to the cabinet this year, Reuters stated, citing the Minister of Infrastructure Development Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Nuaimi, who was speaking to reporters at a rail industry conference in Dubai.

RMD Board eyes $816m turnover

Dubai-based RMD Board, a manufacturer of pre-decorated wall and ceiling panels, is targeting a quantum jump in turnover of Dh3 billion ($816 million) by 2020 amid growing demand for environment-friendly and fire-retardant wall panels in most parts of the world.

The company aims to achieve this by boosting its market share and introducing new products.

RMD is now planning a Dh1.5-billion ($408 million) global expansion strategy which will see 70 polypropylene manufacturing lines being built in India, China, Turkey, Russia, Brazil and US.

Through this move, RMD aims to reach global production of half a million tonnes per annum.

Awards honour labour initiatives

A total of 42 construction companies and workers walked away with the Taqdeer Award, the world’s first points-based award programme for recognising excellence in labour welfare practices, at a ceremony in Dubai.

Hussein Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, said: “The committee has worked diligently to achieve the desired goals of this award. Within a short time of about 10 months only, the award has helped companies achieve a lot and created an everlasting impact and this is just the beginning.”

Louvre Abu Dhabi opening put off

The opening of the Abu Dhabi branch of France’s Louvre museum has been postponed to 2017 due to pending construction work.

Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the developer, was scheduled to hand over the $650-million museum to Abu Dhabi’s Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) in mid-2016.

The branch was originally scheduled to open in 2012 but that target was pushed back.

Dubai group inks partnership deal

UAE-based AK Cladding has inked a deal with Centria, a leader in the design and manufacture of architectural metal wall and roof systems, to produce a key roofing product at its factory in Dubai.

“Together, Centria and AK Cladding are extending the reach of the successful SRS roofing profiles to new project opportunities and new horizons,” said Adrian Jones, the regional sales manager for Centria (Middle East/India).

Centria will offer its SRS 65 and SRS 3 structural standing seam roofing profiles to a new marketplace spanning the Middle East to the UK. It will also provide technical and sales support to the Emirati firm.

Empower completes towers work

UAE-based Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has completed the district cooling infrastructure network for Damac Towers by Paramount, which consist of four towers including an international hotel.

Damac Towers by Paramount Hotels and Resorts is a hotel and residential complex located in the heart of the Burj Khalifa area in Dubai. 

The development comprising 1,200 luxury serviced suites in three towers, offers sumptuous living with a Hollywood flavour.

The fourth tower houses the world’s first Paramount Hotel and Paramount Residences. Each of the four towers stretches over 250 m in height, joined by a multi-level plaza.

Veolia to build waste treatment plant

Veolia has been awarded a contract by Dubai Municipality to engineer, procure and provide construction services for setting up a hazardous liquid waste treatment plant.

The plant is the first of its kind in the UAE, and aims to prepare Dubai for an anticipated increase in the quantity of hazardous liquid waste, as industries expand and new ones are set up. It is expected to be commissioned by end-2017 and will be able to treat 200 cu m per shift (three shifts per day) of waste, including acidic, alkaline and oily waste and wastewater.

Wasl launches residential project

UAE-based wasl properties has launched a key residential project called wasl Quartz in the Umm Hurair region of Dubai.

The project comes as part of its strategy to reinvigorate the older areas in Dubai, such as Karama, Muraqabbat and Deira, with modern living options.

wasl will offer 66 units consisting of one and two bedrooms, in addition to one-, two- and three-bedroom units with a maid’s room. The building also features retail units on the ground floor and its amenities include a female and male gym, a swimming pool and covered parking.

Nakheel launches new destination

Nakheel has launched Boardwalk, an 11-km-long pedestrian pathway designed to be a leisure and recreation destination for residents and tourists, at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

The Dh150-million ($41 million) Boardwalk has been created by building over the rocks of the island’s breakwater to produce a 6-m-wide promenade and a new destination for fitness, leisure and socialising.

Accessible from 14 points along the crescent, The Boardwalk boasts a wide variety of food trucks, some of which are already open for business.

Sweet Homes hands over 350 villas

UAE-based Sweet Homes has announced the delivery of 350 villas in the first phase of its $750-million master community development Ajman Uptown, the only freehold villa project in the emirate of Ajman.

Once fully completed, the master development will house 1,504 villas and townhouses, a hotel, hotel apartments, mall, hospital club, two mosques, and a school. It will also have a fire station, security outposts and boutique offices.

Ajman Uptown is the only freehold project of its kind in the emirate to feature townhouses and villas.

The main contractor is Sweet Homes General Contracting while the main consultant is Adnan Saffarini Consulting Office.

Airport interchange on track

Work on the Abu Dhabi International Airport road project is progressing well with 57 per cent of the upgraded network and interchange already completed.

The Dh677-million ($184 million) project involves the construction of the interchange to Abu Dhabi International Airport through four bridges, the construction of an underpass leading to Yas Island, and an overpass connecting Yas Island and Airport City A.

The project is being undertaken by the Abu Dhabi General Services Company, Musanada.

Atkins honoured for Dubai Opera

Atkins has won the ‘Project of the Year’ and ‘Best Public Building’ awards for its Dubai Opera work.

The results were announced at the Identity Design Awards 2016 dinner, held in Dubai last month. 

The Atkins team was represented by Janus Rostock, regional design director and head of architecture and urban planning, and Mohammad AbuFarha, principal architect, who were also accompanied by representatives from Mirage Leisure Development, the turnkey developer on the project.

Dubai Opera’s design is a response to its site, its function, spatial programme and the overarching inspiration of the dhow.‎

Go ahead for major projects

Abu Dhabi has approved Dh83 million ($22.5 million) worth of preparatory works for Zone One of the Wathaba residential community project in the emirate.

Spread over 42 million sq m north of Wathaba, the project aims to provide 18,290 houses besides 117 commercial buildings and 279 service facilities. It is considered one of the largest residential communities for citizens to be executed in the emirate.

The council also gave approval to the soil and preparatory works worth Dh75 million ($20.4 million) for the development of Zone Two north of Al Wathaba.

Among other projects to be given the go-ahead, the committee has approved Dh89 million ($24.2 million) for rehabilitation and replacement of wastewater lines in Abu Dhabi island.

$354m development plan for Hatta

The UAE has launched a Dh1.3-billion ($354 million) development plan for Hatta in the emirate of Dubai, which aims to boost the area’s social and economic attractiveness as a world-class environmental tourist destination in the region. 

The development plan for Hatta involves three main areas including the economic and service sector, tourism and sports, and culture and education. A dedicated board will oversee the plan and coordinate between the various government entities.