PILING work is under way on a hotel and commercial tower at the Bab Al Bahr project located on Al Marjan Island, the first man-made island in Ras Al Khaimah.

Located on the peninsula of the island called ‘The Gateway to Island Living’, the project comprises a hotel, a shopping mall, an office tower and six residential towers.

With construction work completed on the six pyramid-shaped residential towers, finishing touches are now being put to the apartments as the developer gears up to start handing over the units by end of this year.

The towers, named Amwaj, Zumourud, Marmar, Yakout, Kahraman and Fayrouz together offer 328 studio apartments, 420 one-bedroom apartments, 172 two-bedroom apartments and 72 three-bedroom apartments.

Bab Al Bahr is Rakeen Development’s flagship project on the Al Marjan Island and the inaugural development project on the island. It offers a range of luxurious amenities, including a 180-degree sea view, a 560-m private beach, gym facilities, underground car-parking, children’s play areas, and hotel and club privileges.

The $1.8-billion Al Marjan Island project is a cluster of five coral-shaped islands covering more than 2.7 million sq m and extending up to 4 km in the Arabian Gulf. The development will feature 10 major hotel sites, 50 large villa sites, a marina and marina village and a water theme park. Located 27 km southwest of Ras Al Khaimah, the pioneering development project effectively extends the emirate’s coastline by an additional 21 km.

“The project is progressing as planned, with 70 per cent of the plots already sold,” says Yahia Kambris, director of technical department, Al Marjan Island.

“The development is rapidly generating interest from local, regional and international visitors and potential investors, given the size, concept and location of the project,” he adds.

“As of now 80 per cent of the infrastructure work on Al Marjan Island has been completed and the project is on track for its targeted completion date in 2012,” he says.

Infrastructure services such as the potable water, irrigation, storm water and rising main systems and sewer lines will be ready by the time the first development projects on the island are completed.

Phase One of the infrastructure work, consisting of Peninsula Islands One and Two, was awarded to Kumho Industrial from South Korea, which started construction work in September 2008. Phase Two, consisting of Islands Three and Four, was awarded to Italian contractor Rizzani De Eccher and work commenced in November 2009.

Six projects on the Marjan Island are currently under construction – Bab Al Bahr on Peninsula Island One, La Hoya Bay, Santorini and Blu Mirage and Marbella Bay on Island Two and Pacific on Island Four.

Three construction contracts were awarded recently on the developments at Al Marjan – one for La Hoya Bay awarded to Arabtec Construction, while the second and third were awarded to Al Hamad Construction for Santorini and Blu Mirage, respectively. This apart, 10 projects designs have been approved by Rakia Rera (Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority and Real Estate Regulation Authority) to date.

La Hoya Bay features exclusive residential apartments located on the waterfront of Marjan Island and decorated with marble and ceramic tiles and other carefully selected premium materials. The 288 apartments will vary in size from 50 to 187 sq m, all with a splendid view of the natural scenery. The development also includes a Business Village, a modern facility designed to house a shopping mall on the ground floor and other commercial units on the remaining seven floors.
Marbella Bay, which is expected to be completed in 2012, is a luxury resort development by Manazil Real Estate Sharjah. It is inspired by the architectural style of the historic Spanish region of Andalusia and will comprise waterfront apartments and a range of leisure facilities set in a lavishly landscaped community.

An overview of the Al Marjan Island.

Nasria Construction Company is the contractor on the project.

Marbella Bay will encompass a total area of around 500,000 sq ft. Only about 60 per cent of the project site’s total land area has been used for buildings, with the remaining space dedicated to communal parks, swimming pools and lakes. The project consists of a ground floor, two floors dedicated for car parking, and seven upper floors with a total of 430 residential and commercial units.

Marbella Bay will feature cafes, retail shopping and seafood restaurants overlooking the Arabian Gulf, and will also be equipped with separate health club facilities for men and women, outdoor and indoor swimming pools with temperature-control facilities, multi-purpose halls; children’s play areas; a fully-serviced mosque; a range of water activities such as fishing, scuba diving, jet skiing and boat trips; and 24-hour security and maintenance services.

Pacific by Select Group is scheduled for completion in 2012 also. The development, which offers luxurious private beaches, will feature a wide variety of contemporary residences within a verdantly landscaped beachfront community, offering panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf and the natural surroundings of Ras Al Khaimah.

Pacific consists of six contemporary-designed residences – Samoa, Bora Bora, Tonga, Polynesia, Fiji and Tahiti – comprising a range of spacious studios, one-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom beach duplexes, Gulf suites and Pacific suites.

The residential complex also features 24-hour security, rooftop infinity pools and health clubs, saunas, steam rooms and Jacuzzis. The development is equipped with a full range of complementary facilities and amenities, including several dining and shopping outlets.

Blu Mirage is a world-class resort and residential development by Pure Real Estate, offering more than 300 m of pristine waterfront with extensive recreational, retail and hotel facilities. Fully-approved and backed by Rakeen, Blu Mirage comprises six towers with three pairs offering retail facilities on the ground floor.

Santorini is a Greek theme-based lifestyle project designed by the world famous Tony Ashai – this being one of his signature designs. It is distinguished by the blue and white condominiums, townhouses and beach villas and features a world-class hotel and retail sector.

According to Kambris, further developments are currently mobilising or have started construction already, with many more investors expected to follow and make their projects a reality.