A boom in construction activity has dramatically changed the skyline of Omani capital Muscat, setting new trends in the real estate business, the Oman Daily Observer says.

With construction work gathering momentum in the Central Business District (CBD) area and the Al Athaiba and Al Ghubra localities, the availability of office and residential space has considerably increased.

The excess supply has not led to a decline in rentals but has resulted in a clear demarcation between old properties which are cheap and brand new buildings which command a premium, the daily reported.

UAE to ban asbestos use

Abu Dhabi: The UAE will gradually ban the use of asbestos following similar moves in other GCC states, director-general of the UAE Federal Environmental Agency (FEA) Dr Salem Al Dhaheri has said.

Construction firms and environmentalists have welcomed the FEA's decision to ban asbestos use, says a Gulf News report. Most local companies say they no longer use the substance which has already been banned in many countries around the world, it reported.

Underpasses near completion

Abu Dhabi: A comprehensive project undertaken by the Abu Dhabi Municipality and Town Planning Department to construct underpasses on almost all the main roads in the centre of Abu Dhabi is close to completion. The underpasses include one on Al Falah Street and another on Zayed the Second Street (Electra). Two others are on Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street (old Airport Road) and a further three on the western Corniche. A pedestrian underpass is to be constructed on Al Ain Road, near the Umm Al Nar intersection.

Iraq to build 145-km highway

Baghdad: The Iraqi government is constructing a new four-lane highway linking three major towns in southern Iraq. The 145-km highway will replace a bumpy, one-lane road currently linking the cities of Diwaniya, Samawa and Nasiriya. Contracts for buying equipment have been forwarded to the UN for approval. Iraq recently unveiled plans for the construction of a new bridge in Nasiriya and more roads to connect rural settlements with major urban centres in the south.

Luxury apartments set for launch

Manama: Golden Sands, a five-storey luxury apartment complex between Ashrafs and AlBaraka Building off Old Palace Road, in Bahrain, will open its doors to tenants by mid-September. The complex, built at a cost of BD12 million ($32.4 million), contains 147 apartments and covers 200,000 sq ft.