24-storey residence on schedule
UK Capital Investments Group (UKCIG), the developer of the Metropolis Lofts in Jumeirah Village, will complete the construction of Marina Star, the 24-storey residential development, by the first quarter of 2011.

Marina Star is located at Emaar’s Dubai Marina, directly on Marina Walk. The project has nearly completed the first phase of its rise; with the excavation and piling to be completed before the end of 2008.
The main contractor is expected to take over the project by next month since UKCIG has completed the diaphragm wall in compliance laws governing the construction of marina-front properties; anchoring is over 75 per cent complete and piling is progressing on schedule by the Dutch Foundation Company.
Steel prices decline by 15pc
Steel prices in the UAE last month dropped about 15 per cent since the end of July as a decline in global prices coincided with the summer lull in the Gulf country, traders said. A tonne of reinforcing steel bar (rebar), used in construction, fetched around $1,400 in mid-August, down from around $1,650 in the last week of July, dealers said.
“We think that trade in Ramadan will be slower than last year, so why would I pay more for something I can get for much less in less than a month,” one trader said.
The UAE lifted customs duties on cement and steel in March to stabilise the real estate market and to reduce the burden on contractors.
ZSML bids for four projects
Construction company ZSML is in the tendering stage for up to four projects in Dubai.
“We are currently in the tendering stage and expect to work on three to four new projects this year in Dubai. They are around the same size as our current project, the Ottoman Palace Hotel and Resort,” general manager Levent Kutulu told the local Emirates Business newspaper. “For the next year, we will continue in the Dubai market. Then we will look at other markets such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and other countries in the Middle East.”
ZSML Construction is a joint venture between Zabeel Investments and Sembol (SML) Construction, a Turkey-based construction company.
Septech plans $150m investment
Water infrastructure company Septech Emirates plans to invest $150 million in the region in the next 12 months, and the expansion programme will include three acquisitions, CEO David Heffernan told the local Emirates Business newspaper.
Heffernan said the company would build a factory for its marina business in Abu Dhabi with its partners Bellingham, and also take 500,000 sq ft of space on the Dubai-Sharjah Road to build the Septech Technology Park. Other plans include a base in Saudi Arabia and a manufacturing facility in India.
Booming sector attracts Emiratis
The booming real estate and construction sector in the UAE is experiencing greater participation from Emirati professionals, according to recruitment consultancy Macdonald & Company.
“Since the launch of the Emiratisation initiative, local Emirati professionals are now more concerned with career development offered within the private sectors,” says William Buck, International Director, Macdonald & Company. “We have observed that a greater number of locals are looking to gain relevant qualifications, which is an indication of the country’s development towards becoming a more mature and capable resource. A prime example of this is Wafa Ali Al Hammadi, becoming the first national in the UAE’s history to be certified by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in April 2008.”
District cooling projects kick off
Palm Utilities has commissioned two district cooling projects. Palm District Cooling (PDC) will supply Discovery Gardens with 104,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR) through three district cooling plants, while PDC and Palm Water will deliver up to 105,000 TR to the Palm Jumeirah trunk through four plants. Two other projects under construction will also commence operation: the first two phases of the 120,000 TR serving Atlantis on The Palm Jumeirah, and the first phase of the 105,000 TR for Jumeirah Lake Towers.
Piling under way for tower
Construction of the Bab Al Bahr Office Tower within Dh1.2 billion ($326 million) Bab Al Bahr project in Ras Al Khaimah has commenced. Integrated into three-tiered mall, the tower is one of the centrepieces within the development. The project’s masterplanner Rakeen has also launched sales of the tower – which has 108 offices – to local and international investors.
Work is now in the piling stages even as the rest of the components of Bab Al Bahr have likewise progressed on schedule. Bab Al Bahr is the inaugural project on Al Marjan Island, Rakeen’s man-made coral-shaped atoll that extends 4 km into the Gulf. The island-inspired community offers occupants and visitors stunning 360-degree sea views, extensive landscaping and a 500-m-long stretch of beach.
Tower gets resources boost
Realty Capital Middle East, the developer of the Dh1 billion ($272 million) ‘i-Rise’ tower, says it has acted to overcome a shortage of building materials on the project, to ensure its timely completion by 2010.
 Al Naboodah is the main contractor on the prestigious business complex, currently under construction in the Dubai Technology, E-Commerce and Media Free Zone (Tecom).
The resources augmentation kept our construction on track and reduced the impact of restricted construction material supplies.” said Marwan Mansour, CEO, Realty Capital.
Racecourse model on show
Meydan last month showed off a master plan model of its landmark racecourse development at the BurJuman centre. The 135.2 sq m model showed the vast scale of the project ahead of the official opening of the racecourse for the 2010 Dubai World Cup. In addition to the landmark racecourse, the model showcased Meydan City, Meydan Business Park and Godolphin River City and Meydan resort villas.
Meydan Racecourse spans 76 million sq ft and features a dirt and turf track, a 60,000 capacity grandstand, the Meydan Hotel managed by the Banyan Tree, the Meydan museum and gallery featuring an Imax cinema, and Meydan Marina.
Dheeraj starts enabling works
Dheeraj East Coast (DEC), has awarded a Dh 80 million piling and shoring contract to Sharaf Foundations for enabling works on projects in Culture Village and Business Bay. The three projects in the Culture Village include Cascade Ville and Cascade Manor residences and the mixed-use The Estate. In the Business Bay, the projects include Corporate Bay and the DEC Business Towers.
Excavation, drilling, shoring and foundation works have begun with a target of eight months to finish all the work.
Bypass road to be landscaped
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a Dh91 million ($24.7 million) landscaping contract for the Dh1 billion ($272 million) Dubai Bypass Road.
In the design of Dubai Bypass Road landscaping, the RTA opted to select plants which fits well with the local habitat and considered the best in acclimatising to the prevailing weather conditions and soil nature. Work on the project, which will add 3 million sq m of greenery to the emirate, will begin next month.
Real estate giant eyes new markets
The real estate arm of Dubai World Central (DWC) – the 140-sq km, urban land development centered around the world’s largest airport, DWC-Al Maktoum International Airport, will take its expertise of developing huge urban land projects to emerging markets, in response to international interest generated over the past year, according to DWC Real Estate CEO Khalid bin Harib.
DWC Real Estate has been requested by several city development boards across emerging markets to act as consultants to communities and private developers, he added.