Al Naboodah Contracting's Building Division, a Dubai-based construction major, has started work on the prestigious Dubai Internet City project.

Al Naboodah won the contract to build two buildings for the city under the project's Phase II development.

A brainchild of Dubai's Crown Prince Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the project is to be developed on a fast track and is scheduled for completion in September 2000. Work started in February.

The entire Internet City project when complete is expected to create 3 sq km of stand-alone free trade zone devoted exclusively to the electronic business.

The five-storey buildings, which is being built at a cost of Dh30 million ($8.17 million) each, will have a built-up area of 10,500 sq m each.

The site is located on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway, opposite the Emirates Golf Club.

Piling work for the reinforced concrete-framed buildings is already over, says Al Naboodah Building Division chief quantity surveyor Steve Higson.

The buildings, which will have a glazed curtainwall exterior, will include acoustic tile ceilings and 850 g/sq m carpet tile floorings. Each building will have three Mitsubishi elevators, each with a capacity of 13 persons.

Higson says about 1,000 people are currently working on the site.

Norr Group is the consultant and architect on the project, which is being built for Emaar Properties.

Al Naboodah is an ISO 9002 certified contractor with many prestigious and landmark buildings to its credit in Dubai and other emirates of the UAE.

The company has carried out more than 250 contracts, including the Al Shoala Complex, Dubai Airline Centre, several palaces and residential towers and buildings.

Al Naboodah Contracting Company is the contracting division of Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah holding company.

The division comprises two autonomous sections: building and roads. The Buildings Division offers a comprehensive package for most types of contracts including electrical, central air-conditioning and plumbing installations, decorative gypsum ceilings, marble and stone cladding, says Higson.

The company has a large multinational workforce, an extensive fleet of equipment and a highly-qualified and motivated management team. It also has in-house design facilities.

On the market trends, Higson says there is a fall in new projects coming up. However, many refurbishment projects are likely to be announced soon, he says.