DESIGNS have been completed for an estimated Dh25-billion ($6.8 billion) residential project that aims to ease the housing shortage in the capital by targeting middle income groups.

Spread over 5 million sq m, the Mohammed Bin Zayed City Towers will also pioneer a new model for development, as its owners and developers will uphold the sustainability and quality standards outlined in the masterplan.
The innovative masterplan outlines five new high-density urban areas featuring 349 towers and has been developed by KEO International Consultants on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Municipality. All 349 tower development plans must be approved by KEO to ensure they conform to its quality specifications.
“The completed development will cater to the middle-income tenant market, which is currently highly under-served in Abu Dhabi, by adding 30,000 new apartments to house up to 85,000 people in high-quality residential communities. In doing so, it will also provide a sustainable source of income to the individual owners of each tower block,” says Uwe Nienstedt, managing director of KEO Urban Development Division in Abu Dhabi.
“Although preceding it, the development has been designed taking many of the principles of Estidama (sustainability) into account,” he says.
The development will have a gross built-up area of about 5.8 million sq m with related infrastructure, landscaping and community amenities.
The towers will range from 12 to 22 storeys high and feature retail outlets and showrooms on the ground floor.
The development’s residential towers will be surrounded by pleasant shaded pedestrian walkways and parks. District cooling and double glazing will be employed to maximise energy efficiency and underground parking will ensure that the development remains free of parking congestion.
Local facilities planned include health clubs containing spas and swimming pools, local retail, restaurants and cafes.
Work is currently under way on the utility services such as cooking gas networks, district cooling and infrastructure facilities like roads, gardens and parks.
KEO, as programme manager and construction manager, is managing the development of the 349 residential towers with the related public, commercial, retail and recreational facilities in Mohammed Bin Zayed City and on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Municipality. The municipality assumes the role of the principal developer and approving authority.