Arzanah, Capitala’s flagship project, is a 1.4 million square metre development encompassing residential, retail, commercial, sports and leisure components. Strategically located in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque District on Abu Dhabi Island, Arzanah will offer a unique active urban lifestyle for both residents and the community at large.
Situated on the north eastern corner of Arzanah on 38,000 square metres of prime land, Rihan Heights includes five luxurious residential towers with a total of 854 apartments and 14 stunning villas on the site’s perimeter. The buildings are surrounded by luxuriant gardens and offer a range of recreational features including swimming pool, children’s playground, gym and fitness suite, clubhouse and state of the art security and management systems.

Construction on Rihan Heights, which began in late 2008, is well underway. The 20th storey of the tallest tower, which when complete will consist of 32 storeys, is expected to be completed by end of April and the facades for all five towers to be in place by late Q4 this year.

Carlos Obeid, Chairman of Capitala, said,

“Today there are 2000 construction workers on Rihan Heights site and this number will increase to 2500 in the next quarter, a fivefold increase within a single year. We are pleased with the construction progress so far and we are now focussing all our efforts to complete and deliver these premium finished residences.”

He added,

“We have also recently completed Rihan Heights show homes on the 1st floor of tower B and invite all our existing investors and potential customers to visit them. The show homes, which include the two and three-bedroom apartments, showcase the layout, finishes and expected quality for this premium residential development. They also highlight the unobstructed views onto the pristine beachfront and the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.”

Despite the economic downturn, Abu Dhabi has been financially prudent and its sovereign wealth fund is estimated at $328bn. According to Mark Goodchild, Exhibition Director of Cityscape Abu Dhabi, the sheer scale of projects continuing to take place in Abu Dhabi is remarkable by any international standard.

The top ten projects, as identified by the research company Proleads, are:

1. Khalifa City – $40bn. The biggest single project and will be the new capital city for Abu Dhabi. It is planned to comprise all federal ministries, local government offices and embassies, and expected to be completed in 2030.
2. Yas Island – $39bn. A mixed-use tourist development with its own Formula 1 racetrack. Will have a total developed area about one-third the size of Abu Dhabi island.
3. Saadiyat Island – $28bn. Offshore development which includes 29 hotels, three marinas, 8,000 residential villas and 38,000 apartments.
4. Burooj Properties’ $24bn community. Mixed-use project including 11 residential towers, offices, four hotels and a shopping mall.
5. Masdar City – $22bn. Economic development billed as the first zero-carbon, zero-waste city. Depends on solar energy and will be car-free.
6. Al-Raha Beach Complex – $18.5bn. Mixed-use hospitality development to house 120,000 people in 50 high-rise and a number of low-rise buildings.
7. Ghantoot Green City – $10bn. Will comprise commercial centres, hotels, offices, residential areas, warehousing and light industrial areas.
8. Al-Reem Island – $7.8bn. Mixed-use community with several 40 and 50-storey towers, and two 80-storey towers that will house a total of 80,000 people.
9. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed City – $6.5bn. 374 residential and commercial buildings, including infrastructure and entertainment facilities.
10. At joint number ten are Abu Dhabi Light Rail and MGM Grand Hotel – $3bn each. The rail project involves 350 km of rail. The MGM Grand Hotel will have more than 1,200 rooms and features a 12,000 seat arena.

AME Info

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We announced yesterday that Nakheel had revealed their plans for a 1km high tower. As Cityscape Dubai 2008 has officially opened, Nakheel has revealed more information about their tower:

• 200 stories high
• Will contain more than 150 elevators
• 19 000 apartments
• 3 5000 hotel rooms
• 100 luxury suites located on the upper floors
• Expected to be finished within 2020
• Total cost: Dh140bn (USD $38.12bn)

World Island Resort – on the north-east perimeter of The World development – is the tenth project for Limitless and the latest addition to its growing global portfolio, currently worth more than US$100 billion. It will be showcased at Cityscape Dubai next month.

World Island Resort will comprise 53 villas and water homes. Among them, 23 privately-owned villas, ranging from 650 to 820 square metres, offered for sale by invitation. Each will have a beachfront location or sea frontage with a private jetty, summerhouse and mooring facilities, and will come with its own spa treatment room, swimming pool, rooftop garden with outdoor kitchen, landscaped ground level garden overlooking the sea and internal elevator. The villas will be serviced by the hotel and can be leased back to the hotel when they are not being used by their owners.

The hotel – the first of several luxury hotels planned by Limitless – will focus on health, wellness, relaxation, world-class cuisine and the arts. It will feature a 2,000 square metre spa; an amenity building including specialty restaurants, art galleries, auction rooms, conference facilities and libraries; and luxurious accommodation in 30 villas or water homes. At its heart will be a calming lagoon with water features and a social clubhouse. There will also be a reception suite on the Dubai mainland: residents will reach the island by a private boat.

Like all Limitless developments, World Island Resort is designed on a human scale, and will be constructed in line with international sustainability and environmental standards.

Saeed Ahmed Saeed, CEO of Limitless, said: “In delivering World Island Resort we will draw on our expertise in waterfront development and the creation of distinctive projects that enhance and enrich people’s lives.

“World Island Resort will set a new global benchmark in the design and operation of luxury resorts. It is the flagship for Limitless’ waterfront hospitality developments and the launch pad for a range of high-end hotels we are planning in other waterfront and city locations.”

Construction will begin towards the end of 2008, with completion in around two years.

World Island Resort can be seen at the Limitless stand (ZJ20) at Cityscape Dubai 2008. Limitless will also display nine other projects: Arabian Canal and Downtown Jebel Ali (UAE); Sanaya Amman (Jordan); Al Wasl (Saudi Arabia); Khimki Region (Russia); Bidadi (India); Puteri Harbour and Malaysia International Halal Park (Malaysia) and Halong Star (Vietnam).

The city – called the Ziggurat project – will be in the shape of a futuristic pyramid which, according to Timelinks, could support an entire community of up to one million people by harnessing the power of nature.

Ridas Matonis, Managing Director of Timelinks, said:

“‘Ziggurat communities can be almost totally self-sufficient energy-wise. Apart from using steam power in the building we will also employ wind turbine technology to harness natural energy resources.”

But it is not just about reducing the carbon footprint. The 2.3 square kilometre pyramid has many other benefits. ‘Whole cities can be accommodated in complexes which take up less than 10% of the original land surface. Public and private landscaping will be used for leisure pursuits or irrigated as agricultural land.

“‘If these projects were realised today the world would see communities that are sustainable, environmentally friendly and in tune with their natural surroundings.”

The concept will also mean a better quality of life for the inhabitants. Transport throughout the complex would be connected by an integrated 360 degree network (horizontally and vertically) so cars would be redundant. Biometrics would provide security with facial recognition technology.

Timelinks has already patented the design and technology incorporated into the project and has applied to the European Union for a grant for technical projects. A number of eminent professors from Europe will be on hand to explain the technicalities of how the Ziggurat project works and how these communities can be integrated in master projects.