Infrastructure works for Dubai Sports City, the world’s first purpose-built sports city that’s set on 50 million sq ft within the Dubailand development, is fast nearing completion.

Formally launched in March 2004, the $3 billion mixed-use metropolis is fast taking shape with work on the indoor stadium and multi-purpose stadium due to start imminently.
“Almost 80 to 85 per cent of the infrastructure works being undertaken by Wade Adams Contracting is almost complete and the total infrastructure for the City is to be finished by October this year,” U Balasubramanium, CEO of Dubai Sports City told Gulf Construction.
“The infrastructure contract is worth Dh450 million ($122.6 million), the largest in the private sector, so far, and Dubai Sports City will be completed in its entirety, including all works by external developers, in 2010,” he added.
The development will be centred around four magnificent stadia: a 60,000-capacity multi-purpose outdoor stadium for football, rugby, track and field and other sports and non-sports events, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena suitable for all hard court sports as well as concerts and other events and also including a removable ice rink, a 25,000 capacity dedicated cricket stadium and a 5,000-seat field hockey stadium.
In addition, the DSC will be the venue for Ernie Els’ first golf course design in the Middle East: an 18-hole championship course, which will be the centrepiece of a luxury golf residential community, Victory Heights.
The first phase of Dubai Sports City, which will include a golf course, sports academies and other facilities, as well as the first phase of the Victory Heights residential golf community, will be completed by the end of this year, with the entire development set for completion by 2010.
“The creation of the Dunes Golf Course is under way and currently 14 holes have been shaped and 10 almost grassed. The golf course will be completed by August of this year and will be ready to play on by November,” said Balasubramanium.
“Dubai Sports City is a city within a city, themed on mega sports with the mission and philosophy of sports as a participation/viewership, sports as an education, sports as a well-being and finally sports as a lifestyle. This is a unique and unprecedented project not only within the region but also in the world,” he added.
In addition to the stadia, it will feature a series of major sports academy facilities including the first purpose-built Manchester United Soccer Schools anywhere in the world, a David Lloyd Tennis Academy, a Butch Harmon School of Golf, the first such facility outside the US, the International Cricket Council’s own ICC Global Cricket Academy, top-class multi-sport training facilities including gymnasium and a 50-m swimming pool, the World Hockey Academy, a first-of-its-kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation and a world-renowned sports rehabilitation centre.
DSC will also boast major residential and commercial developments, together with all the related amenities expected in a purpose-built city, including international schools, medical facilities, hotels, entertainment venues and a well-being and lifestyle country club.
The primary shopping destination at DSC will be a sports-themed mall with a leasing capacity of approximately 1.2 million sq ft. This will be complemented by two retail hubs and a number of community centres.
“Construction work is in full swing as is evident from the site and considering our deadlines, there’s no slowing of the pace of work. Tender for the construction of the clubhouse will be issued in the next few months and once construction work begins, it will be ready by the second quarter of 2008.”
However, the golf course will be ready for play by November this year and a temporary clubhouse is being built.
“The cricket stadium is under construction and will be ready to stage events from the end of the first quarter of 2008. Various other construction activities including those for the indoor stadium and multi-purpose stadium are scheduled to start by March for expected completion in early 2009 and end of 2009 respectively,” Balasubramanium said in late February.
The indoor stadium will have a dome roof with a diameter of 140 m, a concrete structure bowl with a height of 21.76 m, and a steel grid roof with a height of 33.9 m. The steel grid will be covered with membrane elements.
Siemens and Electrowatt-Ekono Limited have been awarded the contract to supply, install, test and commission three 132/11 kV substations and associated work to serve the 50 million sq ft site area. Siemens will act as the main contractor on the project with Electrowatt acting as the lead engineer. The contract, worth Dh192 million, will take 18 months to complete.
“Dubai is raising the bar with the development of projects such as the prestigious Dubai Sports City. As a key infrastructure provider to the region, Siemens is ideally positioned to facilitate its power distribution requirements and is proud to be associated with the new sports city,” said Sohail Wajahat Siddiqui, CEO Siemens Pakistan.
“Our involvement will ensure the provision of all the power to energise the city, making it a vibrant and active environment in which to live and work,” said K Ramaprasad, UAE manager of Electrowatt-Ekono.
The contracts to design, build and install a sewage treatment plant (STP) of 25,000 cu m per day capacity to serve DSC have been awarded to Hyder Consulting Middle East Limited and Eagle Electromechanical Company. Hyder Consulting is the lead consultant on the project and Eagle Electromecha-nical is main contractor. The contract, worth Dh60 million and will take just over 15 months to complete.
The STP is being built with the latest Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) technology, which produces high-quality effluent with a lesser footprint, as compared to the other treatment processes. The main advantage of this process is the complete removal of suspended solids including bacteria. Further, the plant is fully enclosed and incorporates odour control, thus effectively neutralising any odours present or generated by the wastewater works, creating zero nuisance to the surroundings.
“This state-of-the-art treatment plant will treat the waste water generated at the development and recycle the high-quality effluent water for irrigation of the landscape for the entire development. Establishing this plant will help us contribute to the city of Dubai environmentally, which has always been our goal from the onset,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, president of Dubai Sports City.
Meanwhile, construction has commenced on the Academies area has commenced following the award of contracts to Transemirates Contracting and Eastern International.
Transemirates Contracting is the principal contractor for the main Academies area and Eastern International has been named the main contractor for the Bradenton Preparatory Academy.
The Academies area which is located in the south-east corner will include the Manchester United Soccer Schools facility, the ICC Global Cricket Academy, the World Hockey Academy, a rugby training facility, a 2,500 sq m gymnasium, an Olympic-length swimming pool, as well as the Bradenton Preparatory Academy. It will also house two hostels accommodating up to 524 people.
The Bradenton Preparatory Academy is a sports-certified school that will impart teaching according to the American Baccalaureate Curriculum.
Construction of the Academies area and the Bradenton Preparatory Academy is to be completed in April 2008 and the combined total value of the contracts is Dh500 million.
“Our project has attracted a lot of attention not only within the sports fraternity but also within the development fraternity both locally, regionally and internationally, beyond our own original expectations,” Balasubrama-nium concludes.

Dubai sports city – the residential components
Victory Heights
• Joint venture between Dubai Sports City and Arcapita, a Bahrain-based Islamic bank.
• Unique, gated golf residential community with over 900 luxury villas set in and around the Ernie Els Design golf course – The Dunes.
• The Dunes golf course, golf clubhouse and Butch Harmon School of Golf.
• A full service, high-quality country club to be operated by Next Generation Clubs.
• Internationally acclaimed UK public school.
• Walkways, bike trails, mosques, neighbourhood community centres.
• Victory Heights designed by Dubai-based architects, Diar Consult.
• Quality accreditation monitoring service provided by Bureau Veritas.
• Completion date for first stage – September 2007.

Gallery Villas
• Exclusive community of five-bedroom luxury villas and three-bedroom attached townhouses, overlooking the 18-hole Ernie Els Design golf course.
• Unique Mediterranean-style architecture, Designed by Dubai-based architects and consultants, ITD and QHC.
• Spacious rooms with high quality fittings.
• All Gallery Villas homes have maid’s rooms; the detached villas also boast a guest room and driver’s room.
• Exclusive community centre with pool, gym, tennis courts, cafes and shops
• Completion date – first quarter 2008.

Canal Residence West
• A collection of five beautiful buildings, presented in Arabic, Mediterranean, Classic European, Venetian and Spanish Andalusia architectural styles.
• Studio, one, two and three-bedroom penthouse apartments available.
• Located in the heart of downtown Dubai Sports City along the vibrant waterfront promenade.
• Designed by renowned Dubai architects, Diar Consult.
• Carefully planned apartments, many with stunning views of the canal promenade and beyond.
• State-of-the-art private health club and elevated swimming pools.
• Interior-designed kitchens and bathrooms.
• Quality accreditation monitoring service provided by Bureau Veritas.
• Completion date – Early 2009.

Other community facilities at Dubai Sports City
• Two hotels including one boutique hotel.
• Other residential projects and commercial towers.
• A major sports-themed shopping mall with a leasing capacity of approximately 1.2 million sq ft – the first of its kind in the region.
• Multitude of shops and boutiques for every kind of shopper. 
• Restaurants, cafes and many other entertainment venues including multiplex cinemas, parks and playgrounds
• Community centres and convenience stores.