Quooker marks golden milestone!

Netherland-based Quooker has announced the launch of ‘The Golden One’ limited edition filtered boiling water tap that comes with a 24-karat gold finish, in the UAE.

The launch is to mark the company’s €50 million ($56 million) global sales milestone.

The ‘Golden One Limited Edition’, as its name suggests, is limited in number with only 1,000 pieces sold worldwide. Just 150 of these superbly designed taps will be made available to UAE consumers, said a senior official.

Energy efficient, water saving, safe and above all time saving, ‘Golden One’ delivers filtered boiling water at a temperature of 100 deg C instantly with style.

Louvre museum work suffers delays

The opening of Abu Dhabi’s branch of the iconic Louvre museum has been postponed until next year because of construction delays, a senior official said.

The $650-million museum project was originally scheduled to open in 2012 but that target was pushed back until this year. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of state-owned Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), said authorities were now aiming for late 2016.

“Attention will now turn to the remaining work on the underside of the cladding and the Louvre Abu Dhabi remains on track for opening in the second half of 2016,” he told Reuters.

Drake & Scull unit wins Dubai deal

UAE contractor Drake & Scull International (DSI) said its general contracting subsidiary Gulf Technical Construction Company (GTCC) has won a Dh353.75-million ($96 million) contract from leading developer Nakheel to build its leisure destination – the Circle Mall in Dubai (see Real Estate section).

Located between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Al Khail Road and Hessa Street in the Jumeirah Village Circle, the mall will comprise 235 shops, a multi-screen cinema, a health clinic, cafes, restaurants and a food court, spanning more than 432,000 sq ft in total built-up area.

Air quality monitoring stations set up

The Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) in Sharjah has completed the installation of continuous and portable ambient air quality monitoring stations in its premises.

With modern high-tech devices, the monitoring stations are on par with the international and UAE Federal Environmental Standards. Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, the director of HFZA and Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (Saif Zone), said that the devices will help to monitor the levels of air pollution at all times and mentioned plans to install more stations in Phase Two.

272-bed hospital project on target

Work is progressing well at the 272-bed Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, which is being built as per the highest international green building standards in Dubai and expected to save 40 per cent power, said a top health ministry official. 

The 54,000-sq-ft premises meet the latest UAE requirements for energy savings and sustainability, thus entering the classification of ‘Gold Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Healthcare’ which is considered a one-of-a-kind accomplishment in the region, stated Dr Mohamed Salim Al Olama, the undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Health.

Al Maktoum airport work on track

The construction work at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South is progressing well with the concourse at Terminal One just completed as part of its preparations to enable Emirates airline to eventually move its operations to the new facility.

The airport will begin the preparations next year for Emirates to shift all its operations there in about a decade, said Khalifa Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, Dubai South.

Meanwhile, the 2016 Global Cities Report compiled by property expert Knight Frank said that the airport at Dubai South is one of the largest infrastructure schemes currently under construction globally.

Airport road network on schedule

Work of the Abu Dhabi International Airport road network and interchange is progressing in line with the schedule, allowing the delivery of the project during the fourth quarter of 2017 as planned, said a top official.

“The project is an initiative of DOT’s (Department of Transport) 2014-2019 strategic plan aiming to connect the new passenger terminal of Abu Dhabi International Airport to the E10 carriageway,” said Faisal Ahmed Al Suwaidi, general director of main roads at the DOT.

According to him, this will provide a direct access to and from the terminal to the capital, Dubai and Al Ain, in addition to the widening of Abu Dhabi-Al Shahama Road (E10) from the existing four lanes to five lanes both ways, together with the widening of the Presidential Flight Road.

Work is also progressing well at the airport’s midfield terminal building (MTB) and the project will be 70 per cent completed by the end of this year, said Abu Dhabi Airports.