#PROJECT: YAS ISLAND

[bizzybonita]

Construction Update Jul/08

A Huge progress inside Developer's website .

http://aldar.com/welcome_to_aldar.en

[bizzybonita]

A huge Construction updates from arabianbusiness.com

check out this link

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index...lery&id=530369

[killerk]

Originally Posted by bizzybonita

A huge Construction updates from arabianbusiness.com

check out this link

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index...lery&id=530369

Every project in Abu Dhabi maintains a very low profile unlike its neighbour, where even if they make a parkig lot, it comes up as news in British Tabloids!!!

[Adam2707]

And in the Singapore paddock there were rumours that the organisers of the Abu Dhabi race, which is to make its debut as the season finale next year, had taken note of the impact made by this event and would also run their race at night.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/7640907.stm

[bizzybonita]

Construction Update Sep/08

http://www.aldar.com/welcome_to_aldar.en

[DUBAI INVESTOR]

went to CityScape Dubai and Aldar told me nothing residential released to buy on Yas Island for general public for another year or so...anyone have any other info ?

[bizzybonita]

[Parisian Girl]

F1 at the starting line


An artist's rendering Yas Marina Hotel at Abu Dhabi’s Grand Prix Yas Marina Circuit. Courtesy Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Roland Hughes
Last Updated: October 14. 2008 8:42PM UAE / October 14. 2008 4:42PM GMT

ABU DHABI // Organisers of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix yesterday emphasised its importance by comparing it to hosting the World Cup or the Olympics every year.

They also revealed details of the Yas Marina Circuit, including artists’ impressions showing the racetrack snaking through a hotel and views from the grandstand.

The final design was announced last night by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, before more than 300 dignitaries, officials and media at Emirates Palace hotel.

Khaldoon al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority and of Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management (ADMM), which is organising the race, said he was convinced the event would put the capital into the world spotlight.

He said the track had been “conceived, designed and was currently being built according to the particular needs of the city in which it belongs”.

“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this event for this country,” he said.

“This is the epitome of sports and I think that being part of this and launching this next year and having Abu Dhabi out there for the global audience is absolutely tremendous. It’s like having the World Cup or the Olympics every year.

“It is a lot of preparation and a lot of work, but we are going to be ready and we are going to deliver to the world a statement as to how we can organise and put together world-class events.”

With a potential television audience of as many as 55 million people – or more, because the race is next year’s finale and could decide the championship – the feeling is that Abu Dhabi will get more media exposure than ever before.

About 50,000 people are expected to attend the event on Nov 15 2009, a modest number by Formula One standards, but one that could increase during the seven years Abu Dhabi will host races.

For Mr Mubarak, bringing Formula One to Abu Dhabi is a labour of love. Enlisted as the chief negotiator between the Abu Dhabi Government and Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone, it was an opportunity for the passionate fan to get an inside line on his favourite sport.

Mr Mubarak attended the Grand Prix in Montreal this year and regrets the Canadian race will not be on next year’s calendar. And he compared Abu Dhabi to the new upstarts on the starting grid.

“There is a heritage and history there that has to be given respect. I have the highest respect for some of these historic tracks.

“But I am also a pragmatist. Just as you see drivers grow old, even the champions, you know at one point they are no longer competitive.

“If you stick with it, you are hurting the sport ultimately. You need to give a chance to the Hamiltons and the Vettels of this world.“

It does not mean that, when Schumacher retires, that you forget him. But in the best interests of the sport, you need to continue to revitalise it and get the best out of it. And that comes only with opportunity.”

Yas Marina will be the first circuit to have a marina built as part of the track and the first to travel through a hotel, with one of the longest straight stretches and some of the best views of any circuit.

From a driver’s perspective, Philippe Gurdjian, ADMM’s chief executive, said it would be among the most exciting in the calendar, with a mixture of tight turns and scenic stretches.

“As soon as I started working on it, I wanted to make something special, something unique, that you just could not compare with anything in the world. I think we have that.”

The race will also boast a distinctive Arabic flavour in a manner considered missing from the Bahrain race. The main grandstand is designed in the style of an Arab tent, and the colours of the UAE flag will adorn the track and one of the VIP buildings.

Mr Mubarak, who was “sick of hiding” the designs, said: “I am confident it is going to click with everyone.“

There is something different with almost every aspect of this project – something new, something unique and something that will set a new benchmark for motorsport racing.

There is a possibility that Abu Dhabi’s race will be even more distinctive by following the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix by being run at night. The track is being built with the capacity to host night races or other events, though organisers have yet to decide on whether Abu Dhabi will be a floodlit race.

Sources have indicated that it is more likely that next year’s race will be held in daylight.

Mr Mubarak said: “Like everything Abu Dhabi does, we are going to do it right. It is going to be unique, it is going to be setting a standard and it is going to be for the long term.”

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20...85875/1001/ART

[Parisian Girl]

Yas Marina ‘will be something else’


Spectators in the west grandstand, bottom left, will sit in view of the finishing straight. The course will open with capacity for 50,000 fans. Courtesy of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Roland Hughes
Last Updated: October 15. 2008 12:12AM UAE / October 14. 2008 8:12PM GMT

ABU DHABI // If you book into the new five-star hotel on Yas Island next November, don’t even contemplate complaining about the noise.

You will have bought yourself a front-row seat for the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the roaring engines of the fastest cars in Formula One will be passing within feet of you.

Centrepiece of the Yas Marina Circuit, unveiled in detail for the first time yesterday, will be the “drive-through” hotel.

Race cars will travel at speed down a short straight between the hotel’s two main buildings and under the pedestrian bridge linking them, giving spectators the best possible view.

The hotel, which will have 500 suites and bedrooms, a ballroom and six restaurants, will even change colour at night thanks to 4,800 LED panels that will cover it like a second skin.

A second innovation, the Sun Tower, stands just before the first corner offering the prime spot from which to see the start of the race.

Powered entirely by solar energy, it will house the most exclusive of VIPs and at night, it will shine in the green, red and white of the Emirati flag.

The first of at least seven Grands Prix will take place on Yas Island on Nov 15 next year, giving the capital the prestigious last race of the season. It is expected to be watched by up to 55 million people worldwide.

Khaldoon al Mubarak, chairman of organisers Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management (ADMM), said: “This is a track that has had a lot of input from a lot of very talented individuals and experts.

“Building from scratch allowed us a lot more creativity and flexibility in terms of how the track should be designed.

“I expect it to be a very fast track, a very competitive track with significantly more opportunities for overtaking than any other track there is today.”

For the first race, only 50,000 grandstand seats will be available, although the final number may well edge towards 60,000. As a result, Abu Dhabi’s first race will be among the more modestly attended races of the calendar, and considerably smaller than the first Singapore Grand Prix last month, which attracted 100,000 spectators.

It is understood that the option of gradually increasing seating over time is possible.

From all seats, fans will be able to see at least 30 per cent of the 5.6km-long circuit, and 100 per cent of the action, thanks to large screens. Some of the best views will be from the marina, which will be deep enough to accommodate superyachts up to 100 metres in length.

A 1.2km-long stretch on the northernmost edge of the circuit is one of the longest straights of any Formula One circuit, with drivers able to reach a top speed of 317kph before being confronted by a tight chicane. Each lap is expected to take one minute and 40 seconds.

Spectators will be able to enter Yas Island via three roads – two linked to the mainland, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai exits and one, a 12-lane motorway, linking Yas and Mena Zayed on Abu Dhabi island via Saadiyat Island.

The organisers hope the Yas Marina Circuit will not only host Grands Prix, but inspire a new generation of drivers and perhaps even a UAE Formula One champion.

They believe one of its more unassuming details could end up being one of the most important.

Nestled in the south-eastern corner of the circuit is a 1.2km-long, butterfly-shaped karting circuit where, if all goes to plan, the region’s next big racing hope could be nurtured.

The karting track will also help make the project sustainable.

Mr Mubarak said: “There is an integrated approach we are taking and it is not just about having a Grand Prix and building a track. We have to be more holistic about it.

“This is a facility that encompasses many other motorsport activities and we will be pushing, through ADMM, the development of opportunities to young drivers from the UAE and the region that they have never had before, in terms of being incubated and being able to compete.

“I think it would be great to have a racer from the region. We have a lot of prospects in racing in various other categories.

“These racers would have to be given more and more opportunities, but we need to start from a young age. To get to the Lewis Hamiltons, you start maybe at six or seven, not at 17, 18 or 19.

“Through this, we will have the opportunities to bring young – very young – drivers and develop them in the more classical way.

“That is the way we will ultimately have a driver and a champion from the UAE and the region.”

Making the island an unparalleled year-round venue is just as important for ADMM as staging a world-class Grand Prix.

The track, through the use of dividing slip roads, can be separated into two smaller circuits, at 3.15km and 2.36km long, which can be used at the same time for different races. The circuit will also be equipped to stage shows, concerts and corporate events.

Such events could be held at night under the brightly lit circuit. A night race is still a possibility for November. But sources told The National that, although the circuit would be built with the capacity to host night-time races, the first Grand Prix was likely to be a daytime event.

Initial estimates put the cost of Yas Marina Circuit at close to US$400 million (Dh1.47bn), but ADMM said it was “not in a position to discuss finances at this stage”.

It did admit, however, that the cost was more in line with major sporting developments such as Wembley Stadium in London – £798m (Dh5bn) – and the new Yankee Stadium in New York, which is still being built but will cost an estimated $1.3bn.

A spokesman said: “Yas Marina Circuit is part of a larger project, Yas Island, and as such, economies of scale play a part in keeping the costs down.”

The final specifications of the track have remained a closely guarded secret since Philippe Gurdjian, the mastermind behind the Malaysia and Bahrain grands prix, was appointed as chief executive of ADMM in March. Mr Mubarak said Yas Marina was in line with “world class tracks”, adding: “We are very confident in terms of managing this project and in terms of time and quality.”

While the majority of the features originally drawn up by Hermann Tilke, the acclaimed Formula One track designer, have remained, one of Mr Gurdjian’s first tasks was to scrap the plans for part of the track to be on a street circuit used throughout the year by everyday traffic. Such circuits elsewhere have to impose street closures during events, and must carry out regular road repairs because of wear and tear.

Drivers and team managers also contributed to the design.

The original plans for the track, which were released last year, did not include a hotel section. In making the “drive through” hotel the centrepiece of the circuit, organisers seem intent on creating an icon for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, along the lines of the tunnel in Monaco, the Eau Rouge bends at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and the striking Biosphere in Montreal.

At present, there are 4,000 workers on the site, working in shifts throughout the day. Up to the end of September, an astonishing 7.9 million man hours had been logged building the circuit. By the end of 2008, close to 5,500 workers will be on site.

ADMM and Aldar, the developers, insist the project is on schedule, although Mr Gurdjian said he was so confident it would be of good enough quality that testing would not be required.

He added: “We are working on something that will show to the world the sporting elegance of the emirate of Abu Dhabi.”

Mr Mubarak said: “It is not just about the race being here in Abu Dhabi. It has to be about the race itself.

“And it will be something else.”

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20...47588/1001/ART

[Bu Maitha]

[Adam2707]

Cool renders.
Im looking forward to seeing how that hotel turns out.

[Parisian Girl]

Fantastic renders Bu Maitha

I for one am very happy to see F1 coming to Abu Dhabi The circuit itself looks amazing also. It's gonna be great to watch the last race of the 2009 season here

[thethemeparkguy]

Pictures were taken on 21 October 2008:









The Theme Park Guy
http://www.thethemeparkguy.com

[Parisian Girl]

Aldar unveils plan for 700-shop super mall http://www.arabianbusiness.com/53902...hop-super-mall

700 shops!! MUCH to do then during F1, just incase race is boring loool

[Parisian Girl]

Yas Marina work races to finish

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: November 24, 2008, 00:04

Abu Dhabi: All that one got to hear about the global real estate scenario over the last few months have been slowdowns, meltdowns and delays in project schedules.

But once you drive into the Yas Island and tour the Yas Marina Circuit, one hardly feels any side effects as work is on at a vigorous pace to ensure the Formula One racing fraternity descends on to the UAE capital in November next year.

Despite the race being advanced by a fortnight, the race for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to be held on November 1, 2009 is well and truly on.

A tour of the facilities in and around the 5.5km circuit leaves one awestruck as the grand stands, the north stands and the Yas Marina Hotel are all taking shape.

Most part of the tunnels and the Pit Building and Team building are also up and coming and Claire Furnell, Media Officer, Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management told reporters, "The construction of Yas Marina Circuit is running to schedule and it will be ready in time ahead of the race."

The North Grandstand, which is expected to be one of the most sought areas, will be seating over 11,000 spectators while the total seating capacity at the Yas Marina Circuit is 50,000.

Sandwiched between the Main Grandstand and the Pit Building and Team Building is the start and finish of the race and the activity here is at its busiest. "Over 4,000 workers are currently on site working day and night," Furnell said.

The pontoons are in place and once water is filled they will float at the race track level and this will then complete the Yas Marina Yacht Club which will be area where the racing action can be taken in from the smaller yachts.

Just out of the ground are the pillars on which the Sun Tower will be based and it is here the VIPs will watch the action from about 60 metres above the track, a perfect view!

Work is also in full swing on the track itself with the hard surface being laid right now and will be finally topped up with the tarmac.

And the areas where the skills of the drivers will be put to maximum test are the corners; the Yas Marina Circuit has 21 of them, 12 left and 9 right turns.

The Yas Marina Circuit is being developed by ALDAR Properties as part of the overall development of Yas Island.

The work force is set to go up by next month and with a full-fledged ready-mix plant on the site and a laboratory on site to test the quality of the concrete, Abu Dhabi looks set to showcase a spectacular race track come November 1, 2009.

http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Motor_.../10262198.html

[Parisian Girl]

[Parisian Girl]

F1 circuit ready by summer



Nathalie Gillet
* Last Updated: January 22. 2009 7:38PM UAE / January 22. 2009 3:38PM GMT

The first phase of Yas Island, which includes the Dh1.46 billion (US$397 million) Formula One grand prix circuit, will be ready by the summer, according to Aldar Properties, the project’s developer.

“All of the Yas Island phase one will be finished this summer, with obviously the Formula One grand prix circuit, the infrastructure, seven hotels, a major marina, the yacht club, a golf course,” said John Bullough, the chief executive of Aldar. “The Yas Marina will be flooded in the spring. Everything is going to be finished well ahead of the race.”
Abu Dhabi is the second city in the Middle East to host a Formula One race, after Manama in Bahrain. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be held on Nov 1.

The man-made island will also house a Ferrari theme park and a water park. The project is located opposite Al Raha Beach, another flagship development of Aldar.
Referring to the developer’s other project, Mr Bullough said phases under development would be completed according to schedule but he suggested that further phases would take more time due to market changes.

“Everything we are doing remains on programme. This is a great opportunity to refocus, to take a more measured way,” he told a conference organised by the Canadian Business Council in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

“We have had to be willing to review and analyse our pipeline of developments. Our number one priority now is to ensure the delivery at the right time and the right way. We are addressing the next phases in a more measured way.”

Mr Bullough said the company intended to capitalise on the sharp fall in construction costs. “Across our whole portfolio we will spend more time developing designs, looking at what stage we take them to, before going out to tender in order to catch the best value.”

Construction costs have dropped significantly recently, with the price of steel rebar falling from Dh6,200 a tonne in July to about Dh1,800 on today’s market.

This drop in prices has also led Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the company behind Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, to reconsider its contracting processes.

“Previously, we could hardly find any contractor because they were all very busy. Now they are looking for work,” a TDIC official said last week. “Usually you would sign a MOU [memorandum of understanding] and go on with the same contractor through the next phases with new contracts for each phase. Now we are inviting them to re-bid each time and compete with other companies.”

Aldar has a portfolio of projects worth Dh271bn, all of which have been phased for completion over the next 10 years. They include commercial and residential projects in Al Raha Beach, Yas Island, Al Gurm Resort and Central Market, as well as hospitals. The company expects to deliver up to 7,000 homes over the next four years. Mr Bullough declined to give detailed figures on the cost of the projects so far.

Despite its healthy order book, the global economic crisis has not left the company unaffected, with Aldar’s shares trading yesterday at Dh2.43, compared with Dh10.03 six months ago.

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20...1005/FRONTPAGE

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[Abu Dhabi Leaders]

Any news about the Future development in Yas Island ? is it still going ? or it is ON HOLD / Delayed ??

[Parisian Girl]

New hotels to open before Grand Prix



Roland Hughes
* Last Updated: January 27. 2009 9:30AM UAE / January 27. 2009 5:30AM GMT

ABU DHABI // There will be seven hotels on Yas Island before the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix takes place in 10 months, the island’s developer says.

Aldar, which is building the circuit and all the facilities for the Formula One race, yesterday said the hotels would be completed before the race is held on Nov 1.

That, said WAM, the state news agency, would put almost 2,300 hotel rooms within walking distance of the track, substantially easing pressure on hotels on the mainland.

The new agency added that there would be 20 restaurants on the island by the race date.

More than 50,000 people are expected to attend each of the three days of Grand Prix qualifying and racing.

“Abu Dhabi will have the most magnificent facilities in the Middle East in the coming years, as we are planning some of the most spectacular facilities and restaurants,” Ahmed al Sayegh, the chairman of Aldar, was quoted as saying at a promotional event for next month’s Gourmet Abu Dhabi festival.

There are currently about 14,000 hotel rooms in the capital, although the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has said it expects this figure to rise to more than 16,660 by the time the Grand Prix comes to town.

Most of the high-end hotels in the city centre are already fully, or near fully, booked for the race weekend.

Of the seven hotels on Yas Island under construction, the jewel in the crown will be the five-star Yas Marina Hotel, through which part of the circuit will travel.

Built in two parts divided by the track, it will be covered with a shell that can change colour to suit whatever event is taking place at the time. Guests will be able to enjoy some of the best views of the race from their rooms.

The operator of the Yas Marina Hotel has not yet been announced.

Yas Island will boast three other five-star hotels: the Crowne Plaza, Rotana and the first Radisson SAS hotel in Abu Dhabi. Another Crowne Plaza is expected to have an early, temporary opening on Reem Island for the race.

One four-star hotel will also be open in time: the Staybridge Suites, a chain run by the InterContinental Group. The Park Inn chain will open a three-star hotel, its first in the UAE, as will Centro by Rotana, a new budget chain for the Middle East.

Tickets for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks, although it is not known how soon visitors will be able to make reservations for the new Yas Island hotels.

In September, Khaldoon al Mubarak, the chairman of the Grand Prix organiser, Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management, said it was important that hotel prices for the weekend not spiral out of control. ADTA said it was ready to cap hotel prices if they were deemed unreasonable.

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20...287829838/1010