500 villas inaugurated

Dubai: A number of villas were inaugurated in Dubai's Waraq area by Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Deputy Ruler and Minister of Finance and Industry, as part of the housing programme for UAE nationals. The project, financed by Emirates International Bank, consists of 500 villas, each with an area of 295 sq m, with the overall area of the project reaching 5,000 sq m.

Electricity projects nearly double

Manama: The number of electricity projects completed in Bahrain last year almost doubled compared to those completed in 1999, Electricity and Water Minister Shaikh Daij bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said.

GreenLine boosts US presence

Dubai: GreenLine Interiors has now boosted its presence in the US with a high-profile move in Los Angeles. The UAE interiors specialist, which opened its original Los Angeles showroom and offices in 1982, has relocated to new premises at a prestigious design complex, the Pacific Design Centre, in Beverly Hills. The premises will be launched this month during West Week, a three-day designers' convention.

Retail park nearly ready

Abu Dhabi: The Meena Retail Park in Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open in September. Based on the western style "out-of-town" retail park, the project near Mina Port is expected to be the first of its kind in the region and offers a leasable space of 45,000 sq m.

Abu Dhabi Design is the consultant for the project being developed by Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society. A 16,000 sq m hypermarket will be the anchor store at the park, which will house around 50 flagship stores, will have two floors with scope for expansion.

Jodran showroom opens

Manama: Al Namal Group of Companies' Jodran modern building system showroom on Shaikh Isa Avenue in Manama, Bahrain, has been launched. The showroom features energy-saving thermal insulation materials called the Sismo Building System produced by the Dammam-based Jodran Company. Al Namal is the Saudi company's sole representative in Bahrain.

Muscat complex to open in October

Muscat: Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), one of the UAE's leading business houses, will open the City Centre Muscat, in October, its first venture in Oman.

The shopping complex at Seeb aims to meet the needs of family shopping, entertainment and leisure under one roof. At the heart of the mall will be Carrefour, considered to be the world's second-largest hypermarket chain.