REEM Investments has appointed Gulf Dunes Landscaping and Agricultural Services to construct the Marina Promenade and Beach Park at Najmat, a 165-hectare township development on the southern shore of Reem Island, which lies off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

The appointment underlines Reem Investments’ commitment to providing innovative green and open spaces within its master developments.

The contract awarded to Gulf Dunes will include the construction of a kilometre-long promenade, a green amphitheatre lined with trees and shrubs not usually seen in the UAE, and a white-sand beach. Work will commence immediately and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2012.

“When completed, Najmat will be a vibrant hub of activity where visitors and residents can stroll along the promenade, dine by the waterside or soak up the sun on the beach any day of the week,” said Paul Ashton, development director of Reem Developers, the master developer of Najmat and the real estate arm of Reem Investments.

The marina will be home to 167 berths for boats, a food-and-beverage island in the middle of the water and a 3-km-long walkway of street cafés and restaurants that stretch from the promenade to the canal walk.

Matar Al Yabhouni, general manager of Gulf Dunes, said: “We are excited to be closely involved with the development of the Marina Promenade and Beach Park and are confident that it will become a popular destination in Abu Dhabi. “We are committed to providing Reem Investments with services beyond construction and landscaping, as we share the belief that creating a balance of nature and sustainability is essential.”

The Manhattan-like township of Najmat’s Phase One and the low-density, open spaces of Phases Two and Three are designed to provide a healthy balance of work, life and recreation for more than 50,000 people.

Costing Dh1 billion ($272 million) to build, state-of-the-art infrastructure – the first phase of which is already complete – will support more than 51 million sq ft  of commercial, residential, hospitality and communal facilities.