#PROJECT: AL RAHA BEACH DEVELOPMENT

[Naz UK]

Flo in denial. Hahahahaaa.

[Krazy]

Aldar begins the sale of Al Muneera apartments

4 April 2006

ABU DHABI — Aldar Properties PJSC opened for all nationalities, the sale of the first apartments at the Gulf's most spectacular new address, Al Raha Beach, which is being developed in the outskirts of the city on the Dubai road.

The apartments in Al Muneera Building are the first properties to be sold by Aldar to all nationalities, following the announcement in August 2005 by the UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, of the new law regulating the right to own and transfer real estate by citizens and expatriates.

Aldar's substantial Al Raha Beach Development is the iconic new shoreline city that will become the future

gateway to Abu Dhabi. It is being constructed on land that has been specified by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

"Al Muneera represents the first real estate investment opportunity from Aldar for all nationalities, said Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Chairman of Aldar Properties.

"We have spent many months working with some of the world's best architects and design talent to create the masterplan for this spectacular new city. These apartments in Al Muneera are our first (initial) residential offering and set the standard for what is to follow with their first-class finishes and spacious contemporary designs," he said.

At a unique launch event on Saturday evening, attended by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nayhan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, Aldar revealed its development plans for the massive 500 hectare plot located at the entrance to Abu Dhabi city.

The site boasts several kilometres of prime beach front. Situated along the east side of the spectacular Al Raha Beach development, Khor Al Raha is a luxurious gated community of apartments, townhouses and villas on the waterfront.

The residential areas are connected by a tree-lined boulevard, delightful canal walkways and busy promenades.

The 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom apartments on sale are set around a central podium feature with a raised open pool deck that is designed to maximise the sun and the waterfront panorama.

Sprinkled liberally amongst these residential homes are waterfront cafes, restaurants, shops, hotels, parks and markets offering residents, businesses and visitors a world of variety.

"We hope we will be providing something for everyone within Al Raha Beach" explained Al Sayegh. "We have worked hard on this spectacular new development to ensure that the project's appeal will extend beyond Abu Dhabi residents and attract expatriates and foreign investors in search for a truly unique life-style experience," he added.

The Mediterranean style boutique apartments at Al Muneera are now available to all nationalities.

[THE DUBAI GUYS]

from constuction weekly:

Saturday, 15 April, 2006
Dredging underway on Al Raha Beach
by Zoe Naylor



Following in the steps of regional reclamation projects such as the Pearl-Qatar, the three Palms and the World, Abu Dhabi is now forging ahead with its own ambitious reclamation project — the Al Raha Beach development. Spread over 500 ha, the US $15 billion (AED55 billion) mega project is being developed by Aldar on the beach side of the main highway leading into the city of Abu Dhabi, from Dubai.

The project site is 10km long and lies along a channel of water known as the ‘airport channel’. When completed, the new city will accommodate over 120,000 residents and feature around 70 high-rise towers. It will consist of eight ‘precincts’ incorporating hotels, marinas, parks, business facilities and restaurants linked together by a network of canals, bridges and water transportation.

To realise this ambitious beachfront development first requires the reclamation of the land itself from the channel.

And this means removing over 40 million m3 of material from the water. But before the dredging work could begin in earnest, the project team was faced with the tricky task of removing existing stone groyne structures from the channel.

“The groynes were put in about 20 years ago to move the
current offshore and help make the beach safer,” explains Andrew Burgess, marine engineering manager, Parsons Brinckerhoff, the project manager. These need to be removed to prevent any difficulties with driving in piles later on for the new structures that will eventually be built upon the reclaimed land.

Contractor Al Jaber started work on removing the groynes in October last year and the process is expected to take another two months to complete. “It’s not an easy job and is one that proved more difficult to do than was initially expected,” says Burgess.

To overcome this, Al Jaber is using two of the biggest excavators in the region to remove the rocks that form the groynes. The smaller material that is removed will be used later to help form the sea walls. “Some of the structures jut out around 150m into the water, which makes removing them very difficult — it’s not easy to get a six-tonne rock out of the sea from that length,” adds Burgess.

With the groyne removal almost completed, dredging work is now underway. Dredging International won the dredging contract for the project and began work on site about three weeks’ ago. The dredging process is expected to take around 18 months to complete and will eventually create an average of 400m of land out into the channel.

“There is loose material on the bottom of the channel so we are using a small dredger to put a couple of light layers over the top of it before we bring in the big dredger and really start moving a large amount of cubic metres per day,” says Jim Delker, project director.

There is currently one cutter suction dredger in operation that is capable of removing around 100,000m3 of material per month. As it dredges the channel — which has an average depth of 8m — material is sucked down a pipe about 600m long to a spreader barge. As the barge moves location, the pipe length will eventually increase to between 1500m and 1800m.

According to Delker, the bigger dredger is likely to be brought into action in May, and will be able to remove around 900,000m3 per month. Once the dredging work is finished late next year the ground improvements can begin. But the immediate next stage of the project will be the marine walls.

“We have over 30km of marine walls,” says Delker. Since the project covers such a massive area, the development is divided up into ‘precincts’ — A through to G (precinct A is at the far eastern end, with G at the western end). “We have two tenders for the marine walls that will go out simultaneously: one tender for precinct B and C; and a separate tender for precinct A.” According to Delker, these are due to go out in the next few weeks.

As with all land reclamation projects, water quality is a key element. HR Wallingford, a hydraulic research and consultancy specialist from the UK, was brought into the project to look at potential issues and ascertain what measures need to be taken.

“The Al Raha development will feature lots of waterways so it is important to assess the water quality,” explains Burgess. As the layout of the development is quite a complicated shape, it is important to make sure that the water moves in and out freely.

To achieve this, pumps are likely to be installed to assist the water flow and prevent stagnation. “It has to be sea water, as fresh water will evaporate,” adds Burgess. “There will also be a beach so we have to make sure that the currents aren’t too strong for swimmers.”

The team is also looking closely at the nearby Sorouh development that is planned upstream from Al Raha, which may also create future water quality issues.

Road design is another integral part of the project given the size of the overall development — it’s all well and good creating a city that will house over 120,000 residents but people need to be able to get in and out efficiently. This means designing a road system that will be able to cope with a heavy amount of traffic.

“There are some fairly sizeable interchange structures — there’s a central interchange right near to the Raha Beach hotel, then there are two large interchanges on the west and two on the east,” says Delker. “We’re looking at late 2009 just to complete the infrastructure,” he adds.

The detailed infrastructure design should start within the next 30 days, with Maunsell as the infrastructure designer. As the quest for prime beachfront land continues, the region’s developers are coming up with bigger and more elaborate projects.

Aldar’s Al Raha Beach is not only impressive because of its concept and size, but also because of the sheer infrastructure that is needed to support it.

The idea is that residents of Al Raha Beach will be able to catch a jet cat from their waterfront villa to the Corniche in minutes, or even moor their private boat in a marina and take the high-speed rail to their office in the Al Raha Beach business precinct.

As projects go, it’s certainly an ambitious one. But as the emirate of Abu Dhabi continues to launch more and more headline-grabbing projects, this could be just the tip of the iceberg.

R

[Aloosh]

this what i like about abu dhabi, theyre slowly easing into these big projects...so theyve had enough time to look at the road infrastructure before having a big boom...
then again theyre probably just correcting dubais wrongs....

[markmywords]

Unedited version of the project video (not the one available on the website). Download here

[MARACUCHisimo]

YEAH!!!

[six453]

hi markmywords,

is the video available elsewhere other than rapidshare? perhaps storeandserve would be an ideal host site?
i cant seem to access rapidshare...


thanks

[Krazy]

Aldar Properties launches Al Raha Beach retail offering

Abu Dhabi: Aldar Properties PJSC, the platinum sponsor of this week's Retail City Exhibition in Dubai, and the main exhibitor headlining the platinum category, officially launched its Al Raha Beach retail offering.

In addition, Aldar is also inviting visitors to register interest in the retail opportunities for another two of its leading Abu Dhabi developments The Central Market and Al Jimi Mall.

Retail City is on until today at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

The iconic Al Raha Beach Development, which will stand at the gateway to Abu Dhabi city, is available for visitors to see as an impressive scale model on Aldar's stand. This unique development will include several kilometres of prime waterfront property, with groups of retailing sites in prominent locations the total retail footprint, once the development is completed in 2015, will be a substantial 400,000 square metres.

Al Raha will ultimately house over 120,000 people in a self-contained new city designed for quality living, work, education, retail shopping and leisure.

It will consist of eight individual, carefully-designed and landscaped precincts, covering a total of over 500 hectares.

It is also one of the first two nominated investment zones in the emirate where non-nationals are legally permitted to purchase property.

Aldar's Abu Dhabi Central Market features as the company's first major retail offering in Abu Dhabi. This opulent landmark, now under construction with a vibrant mix of contemporary and traditional architecture, will become the undisputed cultural and retail focus for the city of Abu Dhabi.

The Central Market, which will cover over 50 hectares, will offer international brands, national distributors and local stores over 75,000 square metres of gross retail space and a net 55,000 square metres

[AltinD]

Yeah, the aerea was all boarded and work was going on.

[Krazy]

Top UK architects to design Marina


A view of the Al Raha Beach development.

Abu Dhabi: Aldar Properties PJSC yesterday announced it awarded UK architects Broadway Malayan the contract to design Marina Residence in the prestigious Al Raha Beach development.

Al Bandar, where the Marina Residence will be built, is one of eight distinct precincts which make up the overall Al Raha Beach project. This particular precinct is set around an expansive central water feature, comprising luxury apartments, enlivened with waterside restaurants, cafes, and shops, offering a unique lifestyle never seen in Abu Dhabi.

The Marina Residence concept in Al Bandar will be a mix of residential, retail and transport design. The residential offering will consist of stylish apartments ranging from studios through to four bedroom family homes. The surrounding apartments will be complemented by 5,000 square metres of waterfront retail and food and beverage units and a central ferry terminal from where water taxis will serve other precincts and the main city of Abu Dhabi.

Aldar Chairman Ahmad Ali Al Sayegh said: "The design of this central precinct is key to the overall Al Raha Beach project.

"The Al Bandar Marina will be the focal point for the water transport around the development and will be home to the main ferry terminal. This water tranport system is key to the success of this spectacular new waterfront city.

Construction will commence in March next year.

[Krazy]

ALDAR Properties invite international design submissions for 'Al Seef', Al Raha Beach

ALDAR Properties PJSC announced today that they have invited some of the world's leading architects to submit designs for 'Al Seef', located at the prestigious Al Raha Beach Development.


An artist's impression of Al Seef.

Work has already begun on realising the master plan for ALDAR's impressive eight million square metre development and the design for the Al Seef community will be one of the first confirmed.

Three world renowned international Architectural practices have been invited to undertake the development, they are: BENOY (UK), SMC/ALSOP (UK), and PTW (Australia). Their designs will fit into the overall master plan devised by Esquisse from Australia and accommodate the infrastructure planned by AECOM/Maunsells.

Commenting on the announcement, ALDAR's Chief Operating Officer Ronald Barrott said, 'Our intention is to bring together design companies with global reputations to realise our vision for Al Raha Beach. We have invited architects that share our approach and vision to the planning of an integrated community based on international standards of excellence.'

Al Seef is set around an expansive central water feature and represents the social heartbeat of ALDAR's ambitious new waterfront city. Here, a dazzling variety of contemporary apartments, condominiums, family townhouses and prestigious villas that will all converge onto a boardwalk promenade.

The canals and boulevards will create scenic pedestrian connections between the other precincts in Raha, and provide parks for public events and social gatherings. Visitors and residents can enjoy shaded, paved walk ways, cycle ways, and beautiful water features next to picnic lawns.

Al Raha Beach, Project Leader, Michael Cox, commented; 'The concept for Al Seef will be reminiscent of other great waterfront and canal developments in major international cities and will create a benchmark within the UAE . Our intention is to create a lifestyle of opportunities for residents unparalleled by anything currently on offer within Abu Dhabi.'

Al Seef will also be home to one of Al Raha's luxury hotels, and will feature leisure facilities, sports hub, water activities, night and day public events coupled with designer boutiques, restaurants, café's bakeries, and offices, providing optimum value for the resident.

Designs are due to be submitted by the end of July 2006 and construction is due to commence in July 2007.

[Krazy]

ALDAR to work with world class lighting designers

ALDAR Properties PJSC announced today that it has awarded a contract for the lighting design at Al Raha Beach to United Kingdom designer Speirs and Major Associates - as part of the 10 billion AED infrastructure budget.


Al Wateed Community, Al Raha Beach.

The contract awarded is for a project-wide strategic lighting masterplan and lighting concepts for all public realm areas within the development including; parks, canals, pedestrian walkways and footbridges. The appointment will ensure that a lighting masterplan is approved and implemented at the infrastructure stage, allowing Speirs and Major the opportunity to incorporate exterior lighting within all precincts.

Commenting on the announcement ALDAR's Chief Operating Officer, Ronald Barrott said: 'The appointment of Speirs and Major Associates adds another leading and world renowned designer to the existing team currently working on the project. Lighting is an integral part of the overall Al Raha Beach Masterplan. Speirs and Major will create a safe and an aesthetically pleasing environment, whilst ensuring that the design of the lighting is in harmony with the environment.'

Speirs and Major Associates are based in the UK and have completed a wide variety of award-winning projects for both public and private clients. These projects include corporate headquarters, museums, exhibitions, hotels, retail developments and transport projects in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, North America and Asia.

They are also the company who won the Award of Distinction, International Illumination Design Awards, 2000 for the external lighting design of the Burj Al Arab in the UAE.

Jonathan Speirs, a Principal at Speirs and Major Associates said: "The Al Raha Beach project will allow exciting and unique lighting opportunities, creating an attractive and varied series of lit environments for relaxation and entertainment in the evenings. This will be the first major development in the UAE that will have a project-wide integrated lighting strategy from the very outset."

Al Raha Beach Project Director Michael Cox welcomed the appointment saying: 'Speirs and Major Associates are at the forefront of creative lighting design and technology; their designs will add to the offering of the overall development and create a unique atmosphere within one of Abu Dhabi's most prestigious projects.'

The design process will begin in August 2006 with construction due to be completed by July 2009.

[Krazy]

Sculpting with water at Al Raha Beach

WET Design, a specialist in the design of water features worldwide and leader in the development of innovative water design and technology has been appointed by ALDAR Properties PJSC to work on the company's impressive, 54 billion AED Al Raha Beach Development.


Proposed Wet Design Water Feature.

Al Raha Beach, the extensive new Arabian waterfront city that is being built east of Abu Dhabi island, will house a population of some 120,000 - the majority of whom are expected to live, work and relax in and around this iconic urban water environment.

'Water will be a key motivating theme for each element of Al Raha Beach,' emphasized Michael Cox, ALDAR's Project Leader.

'We require original and inspirational water features, that will link our entire series of 'Arabian water villages' with unique fountains, pools and waterfalls highlighting the individual character and style of Al Raha. We are confident that WET Design will deliver this, based on the company's initial concepts and considering its impressive international portfolio of water feature designs.'

WET Design was founded in 1983 and has now some 150 professionals in its team. It is best known for creating 'The Fountains of Bellagio' at the famous Las Vegas hotel - turning the owner's basic concept into a prominent 2.5 hectare lake featuring 1,000 different expressions of water movement, with more than 4,000 white lights as illumination.

The company has also carried out many other major water design projects across the United States and worldwide, including three water elements and the entrance fire towers at the Burj Al Arab and the design of the 2002 Olympic cauldron in Salt Lake City, Utah.

WET Design has been appointed to join the Al Raha Beach design team, with the brief to develop cutting-edge water design features that will be complementary to each of Al Raha Beach's very different construction themes.

Teresa Powell, WET Design's Vice President, commented: 'It is our vision to present water features at Al Raha Beach that express the value and preciousness of water in Arab culture, as well as presenting moments of surprise and sublimity.

'We look forward to the challenge of creating vibrant scenic attractions that offer expressions of public art as well as nourishment for the individual spirit.'

Construction of the Al Raha Beach water features is scheduled for completion in July 2009.

Overall master planners for the Al Raha Beach Development are Esquisse Australia, with infrastructure designed by AECOM/Maunsells Middle East.

[Krazy]

NSCC venture wins Dh1b deal from Aldar Properties

Abu Dhabi: A joint venture of National Services and Contracting Company (NSCC) and France's Soletanche Bachy has won a Dh1 billion design and build infrastructure contract from Aldar Properties, a senior company official said.

"This is one of the big-gest infrastructure contracts awarded so far by Aldar Properties for its Al Raha Beach development and includes construction of quay walls, marina walls, rock revetments and associated ground improvement works," said Regi John, Director of Abu Dhabi-based NSCC.

"It is a design and build contract, a concept that is catching on fast in the UAE and the Gulf," he said.

The Dh54 billion Al Raha Beach project is an extensive new Arabian waterfront city being built east of Abu Dhabi island to house about 120,000 people.

Preliminary work has begun and major infrastructure works will begin by the third week of October.

The contract is scheduled for completion by August 2007. "The work comprises improvement of the reclaimed land followed by the construction of dia-phragm wall quay walls, sloping rock revetment walls and associated civil and marine works. The total wall lengths to be constructed will be of the order of 14 km, out of which 10.5 km will be reinforced concrete diaphragm walls," said John.

Design and build contracts are gaining popularity in the region, thanks to the increased efficiency and speed of delivery resulting from a single firm carrying out both the project design and construction.

In conventional construction projects, teams work separately on design, construction and commercial work.

"The majority of our projects are based on a design and build basis. Such projects add value to clients and the concept is catching on in a big way," said John.

"NSCC-SBF is on track for the completion of two major projects in Dubai by year-end. One would be a similar project at the Palm Jumeirah scheduled for completion by end 2006.

"This is valued at approximately Dh600 million and it was undertaken in a joint venture with Soletanche Bachy France," said John.

Another is the Dh80 million state-of-the-art Safina project for Dubai Drydocks the construction of a new drydock with a hydrolift basin along with the associated heavy civil and marine works.

Although the company has no major projects currently in other GCC markets, it has executed several major projects in the past.

[Krazy]

World leader in structural design appointed by ALDAR

ALDAR Properties PJSC today announced the appointment of renowned Paris-based design engineering firm RFR, for the design of Al Raha Beach's public realm structures.


The classic inverted glass pyramid at The Louvre (a central feature of the recent Da Vinci Code film).

They join the impressive team of international and local architects and designers already appointed.

The RFR practice, which has offices around the world, will put together a series of 'public realm' designs for Al Raha Beach's bus, water and Light Rail Train (LRT) stations, pedestrian bridges and flyovers along nine kilometres of beachfront.

The public realm at Al Raha Beach will be a critical component of development in terms of providing an attractive and functional environment for some of the 120,000 people that are expected to live and work in this unique urban water environment.

ALDAR's Project Leader for Al Raha Beach, Michael Cox emphasised: 'The key to a first grade development is to invite credible and reputable designers to bring the masterplan to life.

'With RFR on board, we have every element in place for a striking public realm design strategy.'

RFR was founded by the late Peter Rice, the structural engineer who turned the initial freehand drawings for the Sydney Opera House into a workable and fascinating solution. Rice also worked on other modern architectural wonders, including Paris's controversial Beaubourg and the new Lloyds Building in London.

The partners and staff have carried on his fine work: recent successes have included the classic inverted glass pyramid at The Louvre (a central feature of the recent Da Vinci Code film), the Nuage tensile fabric structure at La Defense in Paris. More recent achievements include the complex roofs and facades of the Avignon TGV train station in southern France, the atria of the Danube and Nile Houses in Prague, the crystal like glass structure of the Bur Juman center in Dubai and the award winning Neumunster ultra-light glass roof in Luxemburg.

'The integrated transport system and the pedestrian focus of the Al Raha beach development, allows us an opportunity to create practical yet architecturally interesting structures to enhance the public realm landscape', said Jean Le Lay, RFR Partner and Architect.

Construction of the entire Al Raha Beach public realm is scheduled for completion in July 2009.

Overall Master planners for the Al Raha Beach Development are Esquisse Australia, with infrastructure designed by a partnership between AECOM and Maunsells.

[ahmedr]

checkout the new and improved website, lots of new renders and information www.alrahabeach.ae

[Krazy]

ALDAR Properties awards contract to GTC

ALDAR Properties PJSC today confirmed that it has awarded the contract for the construction of the road network to service Al Raha Gardens, and the surrounding areas, to Abu Dhabi General Transport Company (GTC).

Following a prequalification and tender process, GTC were awarded the AED 68 million contract to undertake the construction of an 8 kilometre, 3 lane dual carriageway network to form the main collector/distributor road for the development, and links to Khalifa City 'A'.

GTC will also construct 6km of single carriageway road, providing local access to the gated communities; the supporting infrastructure to the road network; a positive stormwater drainage system, street lighting, road marking, signing and associated utility works.

ALDAR Project Director Michael Cox confirmed that the contract period commenced on 19th September 2006 with a scheduled duration of 270 days.

He commented, 'The road network for this development is an essential element of the whole area's infrastructure masterplan. We have taken into account traffic patterns of today and the future, to ensure that this remains a sustainable development with easy access to the surrounding areas of Khalifa City 'A' and Al Raha Beach, as well as Abu Dhabi city itself.'

Maunsell Consultancy Services Limited, part of the AECOM Group are the design engineers for the road network and will supervise construction of the works.

[Krazy]

ALDAR extends dredging at Al Raha Beach

ALDAR Properties PJSC announced today that it has extended the dredging contract for its major Al Raha Beach development from the initial 10 million cubic metres to 25 million.

The additional work adds AED340 million onto the original contract and is a result of recent land acquisition and approval to adjust the borrow area limits.

The dredging and reclamation contract for Al Raha Beach was awarded earlier this year, after a tender process, to Dredging International of Holland and work commenced in March.

ALDAR Project Director Michael Cox, who made the announcement commented: 'We are pleased with the progress Dredging International has made in the past seven months. The dredging is well ahead of schedule and we are confident that this additional work will be completed within the agreed timelines.'

The dredging and reclamation contract includes work for a number of Al Raha Beach Communities including Khor Al Raha, Al Bandar, Al Seef and Al Wateed at the eastern end of the development. Throughout the western section there will be capping of soft soils, with bulk filling for the Al Rumaila precinct.

The contract is being supervised by Maunsell Consultancy Services designer of the project's overall infrastructure. Richard Cugley, Maunsell Project Director said: 'The dredging and reclamation work is an essential stage of the infrastructure development and the extension of the contract will add new challenges. These are challenges which we have demonstrated we are capable of meeting and we are delighted that we have been able to successfully negotiate the terms for this additional work with Dredging International.'

Dredging will continue on the Al Raha Beach site for another 14 months with the eastern areas of the development reclaimed by July 2007 and the western precincts being completed by December 2007.

[Krazy]

ALDAR Properties PJSC signs joint venture with Laing O'Rourke Construction Group to deliver substantial development projects in Abu Dhabi

ALDAR Properties PJSC, the foremost property developer in Abu Dhabi, and Laing O'Rourke, the leading international construction group, have formed a joint venture to deliver ALDAR Properties' Al Raha Beach projects in the United Arab Emirates.


L - R Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Chairman, ALDAR Properties and Norman Haste, CEO ALDAR Laing O'Rourke Joint Venture.

The new company will be known as Aldar Laing O'Rourke JV, and it has become a registered company in Abu Dhabi.

The first project for the joint venture will be the construction of residential and commercial property at Al Raha Beach. This prestigious development is located near Abu Dhabi International Airport at the entrance to Abu Dhabi City. It will occupy a 500 hectare site, currently being expanded through land reclamation.

The development of the site has been designed to spearhead the vision of Abu Dhabi as one of the world's great waterfront cities.

The Aldar Laing O'Rourke Joint Venture agreement was signed between ALDAR representatives Chairman Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh and CEO Ron Barrott together with the newly appointed Aldar Laing O'Rourke Chief Executive Norman Haste.

Commenting on the agreement, ALDAR Chairman Ahmed Al Sayegh said:

'This is the first major joint venture for ALDAR. We are delighted to be partnering with a global construction player of the status of Laing O'Rourke, who has already undertaken successful joint ventures here in the UAE and all over the world. I am sure that this relationship will offer many benefits to both companies, and more importantly, to our shareholders and our customers through efficient delivery of our projects.'



Al Raha Beach is a mixed-use scheme covering residential, commercial, retail and leisure facilities, with an overall total development value of some US$ 18 billion. The development is divided into a number of smaller communities each offering a different mix of lifestyle, entertainment and business opportunities.

Ron Barrott, Chief Executive Officer of ALDAR Properties PJSC said: 'Al Raha Beach will be the first project to benefit from this agreement with Laing O'Rourke. We intend to begin work immediately so as to take advantage of the synergies between our two businesses. We shall be expediting design, speeding procurement, building solid relationships with Contractors and seeking efficiency everywhere - as we strive to achieve world class results.'

Ray O'Rourke, Chairman and Chief Executive of Laing O'Rourke Group said: 'The joint venture with ALDAR represents a major opportunity for Laing O'Rourke as an international construction group. We shall ensure that the Al Raha Beach development sets a new benchmark for the global development and construction industries.

He added: 'We will be using all the innovative skills and modern construction techniques that we have adopted from our experience around the world and focus them on Al Raha Beach and other future developments in Abu Dhabi.'

Al Raha Beach is one of the first designated areas where expatriates can buy property within the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The development is set to become a regional attraction and major tourist destination with a planned population of more than 120,000, eight world class hotels and fast links to the international airport. The project will be delivered over an eight to ten year period.

[wiki]

lovely beach construccion, wath a tower, im shocked