Ajman Uptown marks a milestone
THE Dh2.2 billion ($599 million) Ajman Uptown marked a key milestone by completing construction of all sub-structures for the 1,504 villas being built within the master community development.
At present, construction is continuing on a 24/7 basis, with 2,000 labourers working on a shift-based schedule to meet handover deadline.
Rapid progress has been made in the superstructure work across all two-, three- and four-bedroom townhouses, and exclusively designed five-bedroom VIP villas. “We recently awarded the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) and civil contracts with a view towards delivery of the first phase within this year,” said Fawad Sattar Dero, CEO, Sweet Homes General Contracting, the master developer.
Ajman Uptown spans across an area of 4 million sq ft and will house a school, a healthcare centre, a fire-fighting station, malls, hotel and hotel apartments besides the luxury apartments and boutique offices.

BUiD launches ‘green’ course
THE British University in Dubai (BUiD) and Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) have launched a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) training course to support the demand for certified professionals in sustainable design.
The Leed Associate Exam Preparation Course taking place at BUiD is designed for architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials. This programme meets the education requirements to prepare for the Leed Associate Exam. On completion, delegates will get to know the core concepts of green building and the Leed rating systems.

DIC substations operational
DUBAI Industrial City’s (DIC) second and third 132 kVA substations have been powered up by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). Work began 18 months ago on the two substations that will fulfil energy demands of the growing industrial and manufacturing units located in its six specialised zones. Construction work is also progressing on the fourth substation that is expected to become operational shortly.

Wacker opens training academy
WACKER, the Germany-based chemicals group, has opened an international training centre for construction chemicals at its technical centre in Dubai.
The new Wacker Academy  offers an ideal platform for sector-specific networking between customers, distribution partners and Wacker specialists. The group says it is thus promoting the transfer of expertise to its local customers and business partners, thereby helping to further tap into the region’s fast-growing market for modern construction chemicals.

Paradise Lakes Towers ... payments plan.

Payments deal on towers
R HOLDING and the Real Estate Investment Corporation (REIC) of Ajman have launched a new construction-linked payment schedule to ensure delivery of Paradise Lakes Towers by end of 2011 – the new deadline approved by Ajman Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ARRA). The new plan will ensure that payments of instalments will be made based on construction progress, which will be monitored by ARRA.
Under the terms, investors will be required to continue paying the remaining construction-linked instalments, which would be channelled by Sweet Homes into the project’s escrow account.
The remaining 10 per cent would have to be paid on handover, upon which the transfer of title deed and registration will be effected in the names of the investor or Sweet Homes Holding.

Khidmah secures contracts
KHIDMAH, Abu Dhabi’s first Emirati-owned and operated services management company, has won two contracts through tenders for the Municipality of Abu Dhabi, under which it will provide cleaning and pest control services to both the municipality’s head offices and seven affiliated centres throughout the city.
For most of its properties, Khidmah offers a comprehensive package of services, including facility management, cleaning services, pest control, general, preventive and emergency maintenance, as well as leasing and resale services.

Galleries’ giant screen completed
LIMITLESS has completed construction of The Galleries’ giant screen, the outdoor centrepiece of the its flagship project at Downtown Jebel Ali in Dubai.
The 105-sq-m screen, made up of 176 individual monitors, overlooks a 300-seat open-air amphitheatre in The Galleries’ landscaped grounds, the social centre of the development and a new venue for cultural and corporate events. Salah Ameen, executive director for Limitless in the Middle East, said: “Our screen and amphitheatre complete two years of work on our 20,000-sq-m grounds, which will be a big draw for The Galleries’ tenants and the general public.”
Framed by a steel structure the size of a tennis court,  the screen joins 200 trees, fountains, pools and shaded seating spots in The Galleries’ Plaza. It is due to be switched on for the first time later this month, with plans to broadcast a regular line-up of films, sporting events and other features.

Firms shine at Dubai quality awards
UNIBETON Ready Mix and Jebel Ali Cement Factory were among the winners at the 2009 Dubai Quality Appreciation Programme (DQAP) Awards.
The awards was presented by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at a ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai.
The DQAP is based on the excellence model of the European Foundation for Quality Management and offers a framework for companies to measure their performance and achieve higher growth through leadership, innovation and continuous improvement.
The awards acknowledge the achievement of the winners in their efforts to provide world-class personalised services to the emirates.
Part of Al Fara’a Integrated Construction Group, Unibeton Ready Mix has operations across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Jebel Ali Cement Factory is an ISO 9001-accredited company and has a production capacity of one million tonnes per year (tpy).

$490m towers mark milestone
WORK on the Dh1.8 billion ($490 million) Emirates Park Towers development in Dubai has reached a key construction milestone with the casting of the final rooftop concrete.
A ‘topping out’ ceremony marked the continued progress of the 1,612-room twin-tower hotel and apartment property with the scheduled handover of the towers set. Emirates Airline and Group will be ready to hand over the South Tower to Marriott International, a leading multi-brand hotel management company, as scheduled in May 2011.
The adjoining North Tower will be handed over in 2013. Once completed, the twin towers will stand 365-m tall, making them among the tallest single-use hotel and residential apartment buildings in the world.
The hotel complex has been designed by Archgroup International which has previously worked with Emirates airline on other projects.

Hydra to fast-track units delivery
HYDRA Properties, the Abu Dhabi-based master planner and developer, said it is offering units in the Marina Heights I residential tower, following an investment by the company in the project.
Hydra has purchased 20 floors of the tower, comprising 50 apartments covering 64,000 sq ft, which is part of Marina Square on Abu Dhabi’s Reem Island, being developed by its sister company Tamouh, and part of the first phase to be delivered next month.
Hydra Properties will now offer some of its earliest customers the opportunity to relocate investments to one of the Marina Heights I apartments, as part of the company’s efforts to help investors who wish to move in to their homes earlier.