Vacuum sewerage for F1 track
CORODEX Electromechanic has won a contract for developing the vacuum sewerage system for the first Formula 1 track in the UAE. The track is located in the Yas Island, east of the capital city of Abu Dhabi, and will host the first F1 Grand Prix in the capital in November this year.

The project involves supply, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of a vacuum sewerage system supplied by Roediger Vacuum. The network, when completed, will consist of approximately 200 vacuum chambers, and a 10-km-long vacuum sewer line. All grandstands, facilities and buildings will be connected to one vacuum station.
Corodex has installed similar systems on Palm Jumeirah and Palm Deira in Dubai, for Al Raha Gardens in Abu Dhabi and other locations in the Middle East.

UPC sets method to rate buildings
THE Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi’s urban environments and the expert authority behind the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 and the founder of the Estidama initiative, has unveiled a new buildings-rating method designed to dramatically improve the quality of buildings in the UAE capital.
The new method will allow developers in Abu Dhabi and their design teams to assess the performance of their proposed developments in light of rapidly evolving concepts for sustainability.
Projects that demonstrate consistency with the rating method’s criteria should be less resource-intense, offer higher comfort to tenants, better value and returns to investors and achieve faster overall design and construction processes through diminished corrections and construction errors.

Seminar on tall buildings held
Alhosn University in Abu Dhabi hosted a seminar on ‘Construction of Tall Buildings’ last month in association with the UAE Chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), one of the world’s leading authorities on concrete technology.
“Development must go hand-in-hand with responsibility, which is a guiding principle for our seminars. Areas such as Abu Dhabi, where property projects are proceeding at a rapid pace, need to be more knowledgeable and concerned on the structural, technological and environmental aspects of developments such as tall building construction. Through our technical seminars, we hope to promote world-class concrete technologies and construction techniques in the emirate and throughout the country,” said Prof Abdul Rahim Sabouni, fellow of the ACI and president of the ACI-UAE Chapter.

Al Hamra units handed over
AL HAMRA Village, Ras Al Khaimah’s luxury residential and leisure development, has announced that up to 385 townhouses and villas and some 310 flats in the Marina building have been handed over and 283 units in the marina are now getting ready for handover following the completion of Phase Two of the development. Up to 85 per cent of units within Phase Two have been sold out and delivery of units is expected to be completed by August.
Construction on Phase Three of Al Hamra, on the other hand, has been well ahead of schedule with a phased handover of units scheduled between September this year and March 2011. Planning for Phase Four of the project is now being finalised and construction will begin soon.

PermaFrost AC solution launched
GREEN Capital has tied up with leading integrated facilities and energy management provider Emrill to offer its PermaFrost air-conditioning solution to villas and apartment buildings across the UAE.
With a one-time application that is said to last the lifetime of an air-conditioning system, Permafrost offers an environmentally-sound solution that enhances the overall performance of a villa or apartment’s air-conditioning equipment, while reducing energy consumption. PermaFrost works to clear oil fouling and increase the flow of refrigerant gas, resulting in a cooler and more cost-effective home. It requires no mechanical modifications or alterations to the system and minimal downtime to install, the company adds.

Ocean Heights reaches 50
DAMAC Properties says its flagship Ocean Heights development at Dubai Marina is being completed at a cycle of one floor every week. Around 25 contractors are involved with the construction of the tower, which is set to become one of the tallest buildings in the Marina at 84 floors when completed.
Construction of the iconic ‘twisting’ skyscraper is being overseen by Arabtec, one of the Gulf’s leading construction contractors, which has completed the 50th floor.
Construction of the building commenced in 2007 and completion is expected in the summer of next year.

Ajman’s Eye on track
construction work on Bonyan International Investment Group’s flagship project Eye of Ajman is progressing at a steady pace.
“Our focus is to ensure that the construction process on our Eye of Ajman is proceeding without interruption,” said Anas Atatreh, vice-chairman of the board, Bonyan.
The Eye of Ajman project boasts of outstanding features including lake and garden views for all the towers, ample parking spaces for residents and visitors, and a well-planned layout for the roads within the community. Upon its completion, the community development will offer a total built-up area of 38 million sq ft, which will house schools, hotels, a mosque, clinic, health club and an electric substation.

Retailers line up for new mall
Construction of the new Mirdif City Centre in Dubai is progressing swiftly and the centre is on track for a scheduled opening in the first quarter of 2010, according to the mall’s developer Majid Al Futtaim Group. Ninety per cent of the centre has been leased out to leading retailers, it added.
The 196,000-sq-m centre will offer dedicated community areas, medical clinics, a spa, personal grooming facilities, fitness centre, over 20,000 sq m of leisure and be home to 430 retailers.
It will offer parking facilities for 7,000 vehicles spread over three decks on three sides of the mall.

FM expert builds green HQ
UAE  facilities management specialist Farnek Avireal’s new Dubai headquarters, which was officially opened last month, has been designed to be cost-effective, environmentally sustainable and energy efficient, meeting stringent international ‘green’ building standards.
The building complies with USGBC’s (US Green Building Council) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) certification for environmentally-sustainable construction and is awaiting formal certification; uses energy-saving modules ECO3 green technology to optimise the use of air-conditioning and refrigeration compressors; and has LED (light-emitting diodes) lighting installed to cut lighting costs by up to 70 per cent.

Ajman’s Eye on track
construction work on Bonyan International Investment Group’s flagship project Eye of Ajman is progressing at a steady pace.
“Our focus is to ensure that the construction process on our Eye of Ajman is proceeding without interruption,” said Anas Atatreh, vice-chairman of the board, Bonyan.
The Eye of Ajman project boasts of outstanding features including lake and garden views for all the towers, ample parking spaces for residents and visitors, and a well-planned layout for the roads within the community. Upon its completion, the community development will offer a total built-up area of 38 million sq ft, which will house schools, hotels, a mosque, clinic, health club and an electric substation.

Retailers line up for new mall
Construction of the new Mirdif City Centre in Dubai is progressing swiftly and the centre is on track for a scheduled opening in the first quarter of 2010, according to the mall’s developer Majid Al Futtaim Group. Ninety per cent of the centre has been leased out to leading retailers, it added.
The 196,000-sq-m centre will offer dedicated community areas, medical clinics, a spa, personal grooming facilities, fitness centre, over 20,000 sq m of leisure and be home to 430 retailers.
It will offer parking facilities for 7,000 vehicles spread over three decks on three sides of the mall.

FM expert builds green HQ
UAE  facilities management specialist Farnek Avireal’s new Dubai headquarters, which was officially opened last month, has been designed to be cost-effective, environmentally sustainable and energy efficient, meeting stringent international ‘green’ building standards.
The building complies with USGBC’s (US Green Building Council) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) certification for environmentally-sustainable construction and is awaiting formal certification; uses energy-saving modules ECO3 green technology to optimise the use of air-conditioning and refrigeration compressors; and has LED (light-emitting diodes) lighting installed to cut lighting costs by up to 70 per cent.

Minister praises RTA
British secretary of state for business, enterprise and regulatory reform Peter Mandelson had words of praise for the Dubai Metro project during a visit to the city last month.
Mandelson praised the use of the latest technologies in project and lauded the deluxe finishes of the coaches and stations.
The British minister met Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and explored ways and means of boosting relations and the exchange of expertise between the RTA and Britain’s roads and transport sector.

Tower on the rise
Memon Investments says it is witnessing unprecedented progress on its $21.79-million Cambridge Business Centre in Dubai Silicon Oasis. With construction of three of the 10 floors completed, steps are being made in preparation for the scheduled handover of the project to investors by the fourth quarter of this year.
Main contractor Cairo Contracting Company is among the UAE-based companies spearheading the construction progress of the commercial tower. Other construction majors involved in the project include Win Gate Electromechanical Services, Stromek Emirates Foundation, Hi-Tech Electro Mechanical Contracting and Shanghai and Arabian Electromechanical.

Palm monorail up and running
The Palm Monorail at The Palm Jumeirah has been opened. The monorail, which is the first transport system of its kind to open in the Middle East, is now running four trains between the Gateway Towers and Atlantis stations, with a capacity of 2,400 passengers per hour per day.
The fully automatic driverless monorail runs from 8 am and 10 pm daily with tickets costing Dh15 ($4) for a single journey and Dh25 ($6.7) for a round trip. The system will be increased to a total of nine trains per hour with a capacity of 6,000 passengers per hour per day once connected to the Dubai Metro. State-of-the-art technology has been employed to overcome a number of challenges including running 1,000 m of rail over sea.

Reem infrastructure goes up
WORK on Reem Island is progressing on schedule with the majority of Phase One infrastructure works forecast to be completed by March next year.
Over 50 per cent of Phase One regional roads and utility infrastructure is complete, says Tariq Sultan, CEO of Bunya, the management authority that oversees the main infrastructure and utilities on Reem Island.
Bunya was established in 2005 by the three master developers of Reem Island – Sorouh Real Estate, Tamouh Investments and Reem Investments.
Reem Island is one of the largest developments in Abu Dhabi with a capacity to accommodate over 200,000 residents. Once complete, the island will have seven schools, four hospitals, 10 mosques, two post offices, two police stations, 56 hectares of park and beach land and the Paris Sorbonne University.

Dilmunia RAK showcased
Bahrain-based developer Crown Dilmun Development showed off its first project in the UAE at last month’s Cityscape Abu Dhabi exhibition.
Called Dilmunia RAK, the seven-floor luxurious apartment complex is located on Al Marjan Island in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
Creatively designed in a wave shape to allow all apartments to have sea views, Dilmunia RAK will be at the heart of Al Marjan Island, the 2.7-million-sq-m man-made island that extends 2 km off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah.

Project manager appointed
Grec Architects has appointed Luis Gutierrez as senior project manager at its Abu Dhabi office. Gutierrez will immediately be managing the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort in which Grec Architects is the design architect and lead consultant for the new 148-room Westin Resort Hotel currently under construction.
The Abu Dhabi Golf Club is to host the European PGA Golf Tour and is the first major destination on the Tour’s annual calendar.
Gutierrez has had over 20 years of design and management experience on the architecture field, working in projects ranging from high-end residential to mixed-use developments.

Bloom selects contractor
ABU DHABI developer bloom Properties has signed a prime contractor agreement with Emirates Link Contracting for its flagship Bloom Gardens project, which is strategically located on Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangrove Corniche Road.
bloom CEO Dr Hani Shammah said the company selected Emirates Link Contracting for its impressive record in executing mixed-use developments and high-end buildings. Since its launch in 1995, Emirates Link has successfully completed major projects.

Sara refurbishes showroom
Sara General Trading Establishment has completed a major refurbishment of its sanitary ware showroom in Dubai (right), and the new 450-sq-m outlet now showcases the latest designs and innovations by premium brand Villeroy & Boch (V&B. The showroom offers European bathroom suites, whirl-pools, shower cubicles and high-end faucets and fittings, ranging from elegant and sophisticated models, to contemporary and reasonably priced items. It also features ceramic floors and wall coverings.

Concreting of villas under way
Burooj Properties has commenced concreting works at its Al Ghurm Garden Villas, following the completion of earth works. Al Ghurm is one of two Burooj projects that are under development in Abu Dhabi and whose delivery is expected to take place by the end of this year. The other is Burooj Views, a 40-storey residential tower at the entrance of Al Reem Island.

Foster wins award for Masdar
Acclaimed architect Sir Norman Foster emerged a winner at last month’s Condé Nast Traveller Innovation and Design Awards in the sustainable category, for his work on Masdar city, a project being undertaken by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC).
Masdar City, which is the most ambitious sustainable development in the world today, will be the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city powered entirely by renewable energy sources.

RWI eyes record year
Rubber World Industries (RWI) is hoping that it will almost double revenues this year, amidst strong demand for more eco-friendly projects in the UAE.
Part of the Memon Group, RWI is a leading manufacturer of green-friendly closed-cell rubber insulation under the Gulf-O-Flex brand. Following a successful year in 2008 when it declared a record Dh32.4 million ($8.82 million) in sales revenues, RWI is now acting upon its strategy to boost production capacity by as much as 50 per cent, in line with its aims to secure Dh60 million ($16.33 million) in revenues for this year.