Drake & Scull wins Dhs140m Sahara Centre expansion

Drake & Scull International, a leading UAE service provider of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) contracting, announced that it has been awarded the MEP contract and the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract of the chilled water plant for the Sahara Centre Shopping Mall expansion in Sharjah.

The contract, which has a value of Dhs140m and is expected to be completed in December 2009, is part of the Dhs5bn Sahara City project which is the largest commercial & real estate project in Sharjah & the Northern Emirates.

The contract was awarded by Al Nahda Real Estate & Trading for the MEP works of two basements, ground floor and six levels of Sahara Centre Shopping Mall expansion project.

The expansion will house 80 new shops, 12 specialty restaurants and a large indoor family entertainment centre.

This expansion coincides with the increase in demand for high-end retail, commercial and residential units and the project will provide unrivalled amenities and a contemporary lifestyle for the customers.

The expansion will boost the gross leasable area by over 60%.

Khaldoun Tabari, Vice Chairman, Drake & Scull International, commented,

“Sharjah, like the rest of the Emirates, is witnessing a sustained construction boom, and we are delighted that we are able to translate our expansion strategy across the UAE into winning this contract and becoming involved in the largest real estate and commercial project in the Emirate. To be awarded the contract by Al Nahda is yet another affirmation of Drake & Scull’s commitment to excellence and provision of innovative MEP solutions to our clients.”

Sahara Centre Shopping Mall is one of Sharjah’s landmarks and offers a unique blend of shopping and entertainment currently housing over 158 popular brand name stores and services and one of the UAE’s largest entertainment centres through Adventureland.

As part of the Sahara City, the project will encompass a series of components including underground parking areas, three levels of retail and five levels of parking topped by four residential towers on the Eastern side; multi-storey underground and above-ground parking and a luxury residential tower on the Northern side; and two underground multi-storey car parks, two floors of retail, four floors of parking and four towers on the Western side.

Drake & Scull will supply, install, test and commission complete HVAC [heating, ventilating, air conditioning], plumbing, drainage, fire fighting, electrical and small power installations.

In addition DSI will provide engineering, procurement and construction of an 8000 TR chilled water generation plant which will serve the existing mall and mall extension.

DSI installs the essential core systems of buildings and is a market leader in the MEP and civil contracting sector.

Some recent projects include Zayed University Women’s Campus, Rashid Hospital Emergency and Trauma Centre, Shangri-La Abu Dhabi Hotel, Park Place Tower, Indigo Tower, Dubai Police Headquarters building, JBR District Cooling plant, and Dubai Festival City District Cooling scheme.

DSI recently won ‘MEP Contractor of the Year’ and ‘Medium MEP Project of the Year’ titles in the Middle East MEP Awards 2007.

AME Info/Press release

Projects worth Dh300bn under way to attract tourists

The Northern Emirates’ hospitality industry is undergoing a major boom with projects worth more than Dh300 billion due to be completed by 2011.

The number of tourists visiting Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain is increasing rapidly and is expected to reach more than five million a year.

“Ras Al Khaimah is emerging fast as a major tourist destination,” said Hilary McCormack, Manager of RAK Tourism. “The emirate’s government and its partners in the private sector have acted swiftly in response to the growing number of tourists, commissioning several new developments to enhance the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and expand the amenities and facilities for both leisure and business travellers.”

Visitor numbers in Ras Al Khaimah are expected to increase by 400 per cent by 2012 from last year’s total of 500,000. Hotel occupancy rates have reached 93 per cent.

The emirate has invested heavily in leisure, business and eco-tourism and its airport is undergoing an upgrade that will enable it to handle 1.2 million passengers by 2009. Read more