WITH construction work drawing to a close on the first phase of its Manazel Qurtoba, Alargan Projects is poised to initiate the second phase of this prestigious residential development in Riyadh.

The leading Saudi real estate developer is also spearheading work on another distinctive housing development project known as Murjana in the heart of Dammam.

Located in the north-eastern district of Cordoba in Riyadh, Manazel Qurtoba is strategically placed near the Sabic (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) head office building, Granada Mall and Imam Saudi University, in addition to being 15 minutes away from King Khalid International airport.

The project secured the Best Mixed-Used Development Award in the real estate category during Saudi Infrastructure Summit held last February in Riyadh.

Manazel Qurtoba is one of the largest integrated residential communities in Riyadh, comprising 1,400 villas, duplexes and apartments and incorporating all necessary amenities and services to serve the residents and neighbouring communities. Covering a total area of 360,035 sq m on a rectangular site, it has been carefully planned in keeping with Saudi tradition to ensure the privacy of villas. The community will be home to over 4,500 residents and comprise an estimated built-up area of more than 80,176 sq m.

Under the first phase of the development a combination of 400 housing units including villas and duplexes have been developed while the second phase, work on which is due to be launched this month, will have 1,000 apartments in addition to commercial shops.

Alargan put up the project’s villas and duplexes for sale 11 months ago. To date, more than 90 per cent of these residential units developed under the first phase have been sold and delivered.

The villas and duplexes offered in different sizes and designs are tailored to meet the tastes and requirements of the average Saudi family. “Manazel Qurtoba’s layout incorporates Saudi Arabian design principles and adopts housing types to provide affordable and accessible housing to meet the requirements of the Riyadh market,” says Eyad Al Bunyan, general manager of Alargan Projects.

“The project is an integrated housing community, delivering quality infrastructure and all necessary utilities and amenities such as electricity, sanitation, internal streets, mosques, schools, restaurants and malls,” says Al Bunyan.

“The pricing of the housing units has been well studied to enable people from different segments and classes to own a home at Manazel Qurtoba. Alargan also provides assistance in securing funding through banks and finance companies affiliated with the company, so that people who wish to own property in the project are able to do so,” he adds.

According to him, the key quality of each of the homes is a sense of tranquility and comfort and a high quality of finishes, with another unique selling point being its proximity to the key landmarks, malls, airports and a town centre.

Phase One of the development consists of homes of varying sizes including: duplex houses consisting of two floors, a terrace and roof each covering a total area of 237.5 sq m, 240.5 sq m or 241 sq m; and two-storey villas with a terrace and roof offering an area of 399 sq m or 384 sq m.

The formal launch of sales on the second phase will take place after Ramadan.

Murjana
Meanwhile, coming up in the heart of Dammam is the striking Murjana housing community that incorporates the concept of ‘living with your culture’.

On completion in the second quarter of 2013, the development will consist of more than 450 villas and duplexes sprawled over an area of about 112,000 sq m, and will be home to over 2,000 residents.

Work on the project was launched in June last year and the first batch of 50 to 60 villas will be ready for delivery by July, according to a spokesman for Alargan.

A villa at the Manazel Qurtoba ... a rendition.

The project has just secured the Best Housing Community Project award at the Riyadh Exhibition for Real Estate and Architecture Development 2011 (Restatex) being held this month (May 1 to 5).

“Alargan Projects prides itself on its new architectural masterpiece Murjana on the eastern shore of the kingdom. The property is for all those who want to own a modern home in an integrated residential community in Dammam and wish to live in their natural surroundings,” says the spokesman.

Murjana is conveniently located close to the corniche in Dammam on the highway that connects it with the most important landmarks, services and utilities of the region, such as the King Fahad International Airport, King Abdul Aziz Port, and Saudi Aramco. “Its distinct geographical location provides its inhabitants with proximity to several schools offering all levels of education and a lot of commercial markets and healthcare facilities,” says the spokesman.
While falling in step with Alargan’s focus on delivering an ambience of tranquility and comfort, Murana houses offer a diversity of design configurations and a sense of spaciousness, in line with the horizontally spread coastal city of Dammam.

“The architectural details ensure that the interior design and features are compatible with the needs of the Saudi families and creatively complement the external aesthetics,” he says. “The designs were developed to incorporate open spaces for inspiration and give a sense of large and intimate family environment with windows opening on to bright green areas.”
While allowing residents to stay close to their culture and tradition, the communities offer access to world-class commercial facilities, he adds.

Alargan
Alargan Projects, which was established in Riyadh in 2005, takes pride in its resource of innovative ideas and capabilities as professionals in the field. The company has now become one of the leading real estate development companies specialising in integrated housing communities, and has a string of projects under development in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Other projects that are being developed by the firm in Saudi Arabia include Al Sohoul and Murouj – two housing developments each comprising 1,200 houses in Jubail and Yanbu, respectively – and Green Oasis, a virtual mini-city comprising 12,000 units as well as a host of commercial facilities to come up in Al Khobar.