by Conrad Egbert

Abu Dhabi has come out on top during the economic downturn and despite the cash-strapped times, it is still forging ahead with development. Construction Week lists the Capital’s top ten construction projects.

1- Khalifa City
Value: US $40 billion
Client: Abu Dhabi Municipality
Schedule: The enormous development stretching from Abu Dhabi’s inland area of Bani Yas and Shawamikh, to 30km off the main city and close to the Abu Dhabi International airport, is currently being developed as the new “residential suburb” in Abu Dhabi.

Khalifa A is on the main highway to Dubai adjacent to the Al Raha beach project, while Khalifa B, is located further inland. The new Khalifa City is situated between these two projects.

Residential apartments designed for middle to high income residents are already under construction, while 600 to 700 residential units have already been built in Khalifa A. A $136 million “new ministries complex project”, which will house certain government agencies, is also being constructed.

Scope: Khalifa City will be Abu Dhabi’s response to Dubai’s prestigious Sheikh Zayed Road, and will house residential and commercial establishments and a number of international hotel chains as well.

2- Yas Island
Value: US $39 billion
Client: Aldar Properties
Schedule: Construction began in the fourth quarter of 2007 and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. Belhasa Six Construct was awarded the main construction contract for Ferrari Theme Park in early of 2008. The park will be completed by mid-2011.
  
Scope: Yas Island occupies a total land area of 25 million m². The Island will feature attractions such as a world-class motor sports racetrack, signature hotels, the Ferrari theme park and the Abu Dhabi destination retail development of 300,000 m² retail area, golf courses, villas and numerous food and beverage outlets that will create an international tourist destination.  

Work has started on the Yas Island development  including residential accommodation, hotels, beaches and marinas.

3- Saadiyat Island
Value: US $28 billion
Client: Tourism Development & Investment Company
Schedule: Jan De Nul Group was awarded a dredging contract, which included dredging and reclamation of 40 million m³ of material in December 2006. The technical consultant is Parsons International, while Gulf Leighton was awarded a $550 million infrastructure construction contract in September 2007.

Contract duration is two years and covers construction of a 6.5km-long section of the highway that will link Shahama with Saadiyat, including seven bridges with total length of 1.6km and three tunnels.

Scope: The island is 27km and located 500m off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The island is being developed as a major tourism and leisure destination. The development will have seven districts including Cultural District, Saadiyat Beach, South Beach, and The Wetlands. Saadiyat Island will accommodate more than 170,000 people and will be connected with Abu Dhabi Island via bridges and tunnels.

4- Burooj Properties Development
Value: US $24 billion
Client: Burooj Properties
Schedule: Unknown
Scope: A real estate community project in Abu Dhabi, which includes 11 residential towers, offices, four hotels and a shopping mall.

5- Masdar City
Value: US $22 billion
Client: Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala)  
Schedule: Q1 2008 to Q4 2022. Masdar City was designed by Foster + Partners. Phase one of the project is under construction and includes Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Mist). Masdar City will be developed in seven phases and is expected to be completed in 2022.

Scope: Masdar City is a new 6 million m² sustainable development that uses the traditional planning principals of a walled city, together with existing technologies, to achieve a carbon neutral and zero waste community.

The city is located in the south-east of Abu Dhabi, beside Abu Dhabi International Airport. The city will be home to 50,000 people and 1500 businesses, primarily commercial and manufacturing facilities specialising in environmentally-friendly products.

The city will rely entirely on solar energy and other renewable energy sources, with a sustainable, zero-carbon, zero-waste ecology.

6- Al Raha Beach Complex
Value: US $18.5 billion
Client: Aldar Properties
Schedule: The project is under construction and is expected to be complete in 2018. Aldar Laing O’Rourke Construction company is the main contractor and Consult Maunsell is the main consultant.

Scope: Al Raha Beach Development spreads over 5km² and includes construction of 11 precincts that will include hotels, marinas, parks and restaurants, as well as leisure facilities. These precincts include Al Zeina, Khor Al Raha, Al Bandar, Al Seef, Al Dana, Al Rumaila, Al Nakhel, Al Lissaily, Al Shaleela, Al Razeen, and
Al Thurayya.
 
7- Ghantoot Green City
Value: US $10 billion
Client: International Capital Trading Company   
Schedule: The project is currently in the design stage. Construction set to start in 2010 and is due to be completed in 2020. The city will be split into 12 phases, with the first covering 6.2km², and will include residential properties and hotels along the coast.

Keo International is the architect consultant and WMZH is the concept architect on the project, while Hill International is the project manager.

Scope: Ghantoot Green City is a mixed-use development located in Ghantoot. It involves the construction of a city with hotels, office blocks, residential developments, warehousing and light industrial areas.

8- Al Reem Island
Value: US $7.8 billion
Client: Sorouh Real Estate
Schedule: Sorouh Real Estate is the master developer of the site. Gurjit Singh, Sorouh’s chief property development officer said the Shams Abu Dhabi project on Al Reem Island was making “rapid progress.”

Scope: Al Reem Island is a mixed-use community next to the bridge connecting Al Reem Island to Abu Dhabi city. Several 40- and 50-storey towers will form the central business district. The development will include two 80-storey buildings.

9- Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed City
Value: US $6.5 billion
Client: Abu Dhabi Municipality
Schedule: Keo International Consultants was awarded the consultancy contract covers master planning, the infrastructure master plan, traffic studies, landscape design and programme management. Daniel Weinbach & Partners created the landscape master plans for five separate parcels. Construction will start this year and is due to be completed in 2012.
 
Scope: Mohammed Bin Zayed City Development includes construction of 374 residential towers with related public, commercial, retail and recreational facilities. This development covers approximately 5 million m² with related infrastructure, landscaping and community amenities. The development will house a around 85,000 people.

10- Al Ghadeer Development
Client: Sorouh Real Estate
Value: US $4 billion
Schedule: In October 2007, Sorouh launched Al Ghadeer. A customer plan, introduced in April 2009, included reduced selling prices, a revised built-up area and rescheduled payment plans. Enabling works contractor is Al Jaber Group while Parsons International and Mouchel Parkman are the infrastructure consultants.

Scope: The project calls for construction of a new development called Al Ghadeer Development. Al Ghadeer will cover an area of 3 million m² and is located on the border of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Al Ghadeer development will consist of more than 6000 homes built across six villages and have facilities such as mosques, cinemas, parks, schools and retail centres.