WORK on the $6-billion Dubai Pearl, a mixed-use, 20-million-sq-ft integrated development, is in progress, with the groundwork, foundations, basements and lower floors up to level five on each of the four towers that form the central section of Phase One of the development, now complete.

A total of 3.5 million man-hours have so far been spent since work started on site and more than 92,410 cu m of concrete has been poured on one of the largest construction projects still being developed in the UAE. Other statistics drawn up include the installation of 21,200 tonnes of reinforcement and 29,120 sq m of hollowcore slab.

The site has maintained an impeccable safety record since construction work began, said its developer Pearl Dubai and Al Habtoor Leighton Group, the main contractor. The development will be delivered in two phases with the initial handover of Phase One scheduled for 2013-end.

Designed by Schweger Associated Architects of Germany for Pearl Dubai, a consortium of investors led by Abu Dhabi’s Al Fahim Group, the development will offer a unique destination within the Emirates. A city within a city, it will comprise a mix of high-end residential, retail, hotel, office and cultural space, including a purpose-built theatre complex with a 1,800-seat auditorium, capable of hosting major global and regional entertainment events and shows. It will also be the future home of the Dubai International Film Festival.

Abdul Majeed Ismail Al Fahim, chairman of Pearl Dubai, said: “Despite recent challenges in the UAE’s real estate sector, there is still demand for the right projects being built in the right location. We have continued to build throughout the recent downturn with an ambitious construction programme that remains on schedule. We have already sold 500 residential units, representing 95 per cent of the initial units released to date, to over 40 different nationalities.”

Overlooking the Palm Jumeirah Island in the heart of the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, the Dubai Pearl will set a new benchmark for sustainable urban communities in Dubai. The development will provide premium offices, international retail and top quality dining and entertainment facilities. It will ultimately provide a home for approximately 9,000 people and a workplace for 12,000.