Car-park revamp under way

Majid Al Futtaim has started work on the redevelopment of the City Centre Mirdif’s car-park at an estimated cost of Dh355 million ($91 million).

City Centre Mirdif, located along Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road in Dubai, is a family-oriented shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destination, spread over 96,000 sq m of retail space.

The expansion will add over 1,000 car parking spaces on a new upper deck, together with additional new entry and exit points which will significantly improve convenience and accessibility to the mall.

The initiative follows direct customer feedback and demonstrates Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to enhance its existing flagship destinations. The work is likely to be completed early next year.

Al Maryah Central topped out

Gulf Related has achieved a major milestone with the structural completion and topping out of Al Maryah Central in Abu Dhabi.

The 2.8-million-sq-ft mall, which is set to open in 2018, will be home to the first Macy’s outside of the US and the first Bloomingdale’s in Abu Dhabi. It will combine with The Galleria, a luxury shopping and dining destination, to create a fully integrated and seamless experience that will cater to the diverse tastes of Abu Dhabi’s residents and visitors alike.

The milestone marks another key stage in the construction of the mall located in the heart of Al Maryah Island, with the remaining construction proceeding at full pace.

Legoland hotel to open

Dubai’s DXB Entertainments and Merlin Entertainments Group are bringing the first Legoland Hotel to the Middle East.

The 250-room hotel will open at Dubai Parks and Resorts, the Middle East’s largest integrated theme park, adjacent to the Legoland Dubai theme park.  

The first Legoland hotel in the Middle East and the seventh to open worldwide will immerse guests in the world of Lego. Every room will have Lego models and themes for guests to continue their Legoland Park adventure into the evening. From the disco elevator to the Castle Play Area, Legoland designers have integrated Lego storylines for every guest to create a memorable adventure.

ABB delivers substation for Dubai

ABB has successfully energised a major substation that will help evacuate power from the  Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MBR) Solar Park in Dubai.

The 400/132 kilovolt (kV) gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation has been built for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), the UAE’s leading power utility, to connect the second phase of the MBR Solar Park and integrate 200 MW of electricity to the transmission grid.

The utility scale solar photovoltaic plant, which covers 4.5 sq km, will produce enough electricity to serve more than 130,000 people.

Enec achieves new milestone

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has achieved a milestone by successfully installing the condenser for Unit 4 of the Barakah nuclear energy plant, being built in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi.

As one of the largest condensers in the Middle East region, the one installed at Unit 4 marks the final condenser installation at the Barakah plant.

Manufactured in South Korea and transported to Barakah, the condenser is made up of three sections, each measuring 27 m in length and weighing 700 tonnes.

Abu Dhabi Airport road ... $185-million upgrade.

Airport road project on track

Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) has completed about 61 per cent of the work on the Dh678 million ($185 million) upgraded road network and interchange project at Abu Dhabi International Airport, according to a report.

The project will connect the new terminal of the airport to the Abu Dhabi-Shahama (E10) highway, and will provide a direct access to and from the terminal towards Abu Dhabi as well as Dubai and Al Ain cities, said the state news agency Wam, citing a top Musanada official.

It involves the construction of the interchange to Abu Dhabi International Airport through four bridges serving as entry and exit points to the terminal, the construction of an underpass leading to Yas Island, and an overpass connecting Yas Island and Airport City A.

Ibn Battuta Residences ... landmark.

$231m expansion under way

Nakheel has begun work on a new 55-storey residential tower, 16-screen cinema complex, multi-storey car-park and retail expansion with a combined total project value of Dh850 million ($231 million) at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai.

The company has awarded a Dh23-million contract to Dubai-based National Gulf Constructions for enabling works at the site, located on the southern side of the world-famous mall, adjacent to The Gardens community.

Ibn Battuta Residences 2 will soar 55 floors above Ibn Battuta Mall. With 279 apartments, the tower will complement Ibn Battuta Residences,  a 48-floor twin-building apartment complex.

The three towers have 810 apartments between them.

Bids received for Deira Mall

Nakheel has received three construction proposals for its new retail, dining and entertainment hub to be built at Deira Islands in Dubai with the lowest bid starting from Dh4.2 billion ($1.14 billion).

Deira Mall will be located at the heart of Deira Islands, Nakheel’s new, 15.3-sq-km waterfront master community. With four million sq ft of leasable space, the mall will feature over 1,000 shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment outlets across three floors.

Akar completes eco-tourism job

Leading landscaping contractor Akar has completed the Dh14-million ($3.8 million) Al Wadi Park project, a major eco-tourism development spread over a sprawling 28,000-sq-m area on the Dubai-Oman border.

The project is part of a Dh1.3-billion ($354 million) development plan for Hatta.

The wadi-themed park is now home to more than 900 trees, surreal waterbeds, dozens of barbecue pits with sheltered picnic tables, endless stretches of grassy lawns, a jogging track and shaded pergolas. 

Work to start on luxury tower

Dubai Properties is set to start work on its luxury project 1/JBR, a 46-storey tower located at the entrance of Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai.   

The iconic tower, which will be built at a cost of over Dh1 billion ($272 million), features 161 two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments as well as some five-bedroom penthouses, reported The National.

Dubai Contracting Company (DCC) has been signed up as the main contractor for the project, which is due for handover in the final quarter of 2019, it stated.

Motiongate Dubai ... now open.

CH2M wins new deal for park

CH2M has been awarded a major contract by Dubai Parks & Resorts for Phase Two of its mammoth theme park project.

The scope of work includes delivery of in-park and resort wide infrastructure and traffic services, the US-based company said. 

Phase Two includes the Six Flags Dubai park, operated by Six Flags from the US, which is to open in 2019. 

Dubai Parks and Resorts last month opened the region’s largest integrated theme park with the premiere of the Hollywood-inspired Motiongate Dubai. The attraction, which includes Legoland Dubai, the dining and entertainment district Riverland, Bollywood Parks Dubai, Legoland Water Park and the Polynesian Lapita Hotel, opened its gates following a four-year development supported by CH2M.