A major 15-storey commercial complex is taking shape in Al Khobar.

Being built at a cost of SR83.5 million ($22.26 million), Al Subeaei Commercial Complex features of an office wing and residential wing sitting on a base which comprises a basement with an area of 5,000 sq m, a ground floor, a mezzanine level and two technical floors.

Although one composite structure, each of the wings have been given a distinctive appearance - the office wing being clad in curtain-walling and the residential section featuring sandwich panels.

Each of the 13 typical floors of the building have an area of 1,960 sq m each.

The building is now rising up on a 5,000 sq m site at the intersection of King Abdul Aziz and Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Street and will offer a total built-up area of 42,391 sq m.

Work is currently under way on the eighth floor level of the building which is scheduled for completion in November 2002. Simultaneously, finishing works are in progress at the lower levels.

The basement will house the car-park, while shops and various outlets will be accommodated on the ground and mezzanine floors. Besides the basement, additional car-parking space will be available on the technical floors.

Facilities such as a health club offering sauna, Jacuzzi, steam room as well as drivers' accommodation are located on the two technical floors while the gymnasium will be located on the mezzanine floor.

The building comprises a reinforced concrete structure with typical hordi slabs and a few solid slabs.

Externally, the residential wing will be clad with sandwich panels while the office wing will feature glazed curtain-walling, contrasted at ground level by strips of granite. A high standard of finishes will be provided including terrazzo tiles/granite/marble/ceramic tiles for residential areas, with the office areas finished as per tenants' requirements. Ceilings for the residential side will be plastered while the office side will have acoustic false ceilings. Internal walls will receive emulsion paint.

Precast concrete interlocking tiles have been installed for the driveway and footpaths covering a total area of 2,500 sq m. There will be planter boxes at the entrance and on the 7th floor.

Access within the complex will be facilitated by six elevators. In addition, there are four staircases - two of which are designed to be emergency exits.

The building will be equipped with a HVAC system (chilled water piping), fire fighting and fire alarm systems, CCTV, intercom, telephone and MATV.

Khatib & Alami Consolidated Engineering is the consultant on the project which was launched in November 2000. The client is Mohammed & Abdullah Al-Subeaei Companies of Jeddah. The contractor is the Riyadh-based Al Swayeh Company.

Mohammed & Abdullah Ibrahim Al Subeaei Group, which was set up almost seven decades ago, is ranked among the top 100 companies in Saudi Arabia. It is active in the trade, industry, agriculture and services sectors. It owns considerable real estate and a number of commercial centres in the major cities of the kingdom.

Al Swayeh Company undertakes contracting works for both the public and private sectors. For the government sector, it has implemented a large number of utility projects including potable water networks, pump stations and on-grade and elevated water tanks. It is registed as a grade II company and permitted to take on projects worth upto SR300 million.

In the private sector, Swayeh has been actively involved in turnkey projects including civil construction, interior decorating, paving and surfacing, excavation and earthworks.