The first quarter of next year will see a major new landmark rising in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah when the Dh7 billion ($1.9 billion) Emirates Flag project gets under way.

The project is being developed by High Rise Real Estate in association with the Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone Authority, Dream Industrial Park, and A&A Investment Group.
Tenders for the construction of the first phase of the project are expected invited by the end of the year for construction to begin shortly afterwards, according to Faisal Ali Moosa, managing partner, High Rise Real Estate, the firm that has been involved in some of the striking projects in Dubai such as the Rotating City project and Dubai’s first rotating residence building.
“We want the Emirates Flag project to be the first icon of the UAE, representing the unity and dynamism, of this country. This project will put Ras Al Khaimah on the global map,” he says.
The iconic project has been designed by the reputed architectural design firm Dimensions and the development will comprise seven blocks with a total of 21 buildings. Each block will be themed around one of the UAE emirates complete with local art, food and decor from the emirate represented in the design of the block. Each block will be divided into three buildings: a residential, a hotel and an office tower and there will be seven such blocks in the development.
The project, when built in three phases by 2015, will proudly portray on its roof the flag of the UAE, in concrete glass and steel.
“The Emirates Flag development will proudly reflect the spirit and history of the UAE, and will be a testimony to the unity and harmony between the seven emirates of the UAE,” says a spokesman of High Rise Real Estate.
Located at the Dream Industrial Park in the Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone.

Residential tower
Each residential tower will face the sea and will consist of 160 one-bedroom apartments of 800 sq ft each, 120 studio flats of 450 sq ft each and 120 two-bedroom flats of 1,200 sq ft each. These towers will boast unparalleled vistas of the sea and the adjacent Ras Al Khaimah coastline, says the spokesman.

Hotel tower
The central building in every block will be an exclusive five-star hotel, comprising 450 rooms and featuring retail outlets, health clubs and banquet halls. Each hotel will cover more than 3oo,000 sq ft and is being uniquely themed to reflect the history and the spirit of the emirate it represents.

Office tower
The commercial office buildings will make up a third of the entire development. Each office tower will rise 25 floors with a total built-up area of 300,000 sq ft. Each tower will offer a full-service business centre and retail shops.
“The lobby of every office tower has been designed to be unique with its own identity matching the theme of the project. It will be a fully self-sufficient, intelligent community, complete with restaurants and retail areas all offering a direct view of the marina,” says Moosa.
About 20 per cent of the Emirates Flag project will be built in the sea, bridging land and sea, and the offices, homes and hotel rooms in the development will have sea view.
The project also boasts a large man-made marina and residents will be able to actually drive their yachts to the office doorstep.
“Now, that is the way to drive,” says Hisham Al Ghani, the designer of the Emirates Flag project. “Commuting between Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah will not be a problem any more, as The Emirates Flag development will provide its own fleet of high-speed water jet taxis, which will offer an over-water connection for commuters travelling between Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai. This will be a fantastic service for people living in Dubai and working in Ras Al Khaimah and vice versa. It will reduce commuting time by more than 50 per cent. You can forget about traffic jams now.
The Emirates Flag Development has been conceptualised and developed by High Real Estate, which has to its credit such prestigious development projects as The Wave Business Towers, the Rotating City, Rotating residences and Al Jerf Gardens.