Impressive Persia Dome completed
Dubai: The newly completed Persia Dome at Dubai’s Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall, formerly known as Gardens Shopping Mall, has been described as another architectural landmark by a visiting expert.

Comparable in size and grandeur to the Taj Mahal dome, the Persia Dome will add yet another skyline feature to the already impressive development. The dome is one of the finest pieces of Islamic architecture in this century, said Professor Salim Al Hassani, chairman of the UK-based Foundation for Science Technology and Civilisation, FSTC.

Dubai to fund $3.4bn LRT project
Dubai: The entire light rail transit (LRT) project cost of Dh12.5 billion ($3.4 billion) is to be met by Dubai Municipality.

The bidding consortia have been informed about the change in funding pattern, and this has resulted in a change in entire financing equation, since more than 10 local and international banks were in the process of backing five pre-qualified bidding consortia, says a spokesman.
Earlier, Dubai Municipality had said that it would finance only 10 per cent of the project, and the rest was to be arranged by the bidders. Accordingly, all five bidding consortia were in the process of making arrangements with a number of banks to finance the remaining 90 per cent, a report stated.

Sharjah container terminal expands
Sharjah: Sharjah Seaports and Customs Department said the expansion project of the Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) has begun at a total cost of Dh300 million ($82 million).
Isa Al Matawaa, director general of Sharjah Seaports, said the project, the largest in the emirate, involves building new quays with a length of 400 m and an 800 m-long breakwater, apart from reclaiming 150,000 sq m for new storage capacity.
“A total of Dh120 million of the investment allocated for purchasing four gantry cranes from Leibherr and the rest of the money will go  to an Athens company for carrying the project which was designed by Halcrow International,” he said after signing the contract with Paul Lekkakis, CEO of the Greek company.
The new 16 m deep quays would be able to handle fourth generation, 400 m ships, each of which has a capacity for over 8,000 containers.
“KCT handled 1.6 million TEUs in 2004 and this is expected to grow 30 per cent in the coming two years,' he added.
The first phase of expansion will be completed by end of this year and will bring to six the total numbers of quays at the KCT. The total storage capacity after expansion will rise to 30,000 TEUs and handling to two million TEUs a year.

Work starts on Mammut's new plant
Dubai: The groundbreaking ceremony for Dubai-based Mammut Technocrete's new Dh500 million ($136 million) precast concrete panel factory spread across a 240,000 sq m area at the Techno Park, was held last month.
Mammut Technocrete will produce all types of precast panels incorporating new floor and wall panel technologies from Germany and Canada that will improve the speed, cost and quality of construction.

RAK earmarks $162m for roads
Ras Al Khaimah: The emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is spending an unprecedented Dh596 million ($162.3 million) on road network infrastructure projects. The project, to be completed by the year-end, will include the building of new roads as well as the paving of existing ones.
New roads will be designed with an advanced technology to weigh heavy-goods vehicles loaded with cement and rocks and ensure they comply with legal-load limits.

Dubai's Al Manara Interchange opens
Dubai: Dubai Municipality has opened Sheikh Zayed Road's Interchange No 3 (Al Manara Interchange) for traffic, paving the way for a smoother traffic on this arterial road of the city.
This was announced by Badr Al Gergawi, head of roads construction section at the municipality, who noted that the project cost Dh98 million ($24.5 million).
“The new clover-leaf interchange would help contain the additional traffic being generated by several new developments in the area such as the Dubai Internet and Media cities, Dubai Marina, the American University of Dubai, the Palm, and a lot of other new developments,” he said.

Planters inks 1,000th deal
Dubai: Planters, an award winning interior landscaping company, has recently signed its 1,000th maintenance contract with the five-star hotel, Le Royal Meridien, Dubai, says a company spokesman.
Speaking about the achievement, Jonathan Pardoe, general manager of Planters said: “We have come a long way since we first started in 1979, through hard work and quality service we have consistently built up the number of maintenance contracts year on year. This is a great achievement for us to have reached the 1000th mark and we are now the largest interior landscaping company in the Middle East.”

F&G opens Dubai office
Dubai: Leading project and cost consultant Faithful & Gould (F&G) has opened an office in Dubai, adding further to its international network, which spans Continental Europe, US and Asia Pacific.
The company is one of the UK’s most active consultants on the international arena, operating in over 100 countries. The decision to open an office in Dubai reflects a rapidly growing workload in the Middle East where the company has recently won major projects entailing over $700 million of construction work.
Faithful & Gould’s current projects in Dubai include acting as project and construction managers at Jumeirah Lake Towers (which consists of 78 tower blocks set in over 600 acres) and Jumeirah Village (which contains some 7,000 villas and condominiums, two schools, two country clubs and a marina set in 2,000 acres).

Le Meridien plans $53m expansion
Dubai: Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts has announced a Dh196 million ($53.3 million) expansion of Le Meridien Dubai, located next to Dubai International Airport.
“The expansion of Le Meridien Dubai is expected to add 600 new rooms to the existing 383. We are in close negotiations with the management of the Dubai International Marine Club to manage a 300-room new property at its plot on the beach,” said Robert E Riley, chief executive of Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts.
Le Meridien operates four major hotels in Dubai. The chain will open its new hotel, Le Meridien Grosvenor House, at Dubai Marina in June the first hotel to be opened there.