Major works including the construction of what is designed to be Abu Dhabi’s tallest tower have got under way at Al Reem Island – which lies 300 m off the northern shore of Abu Dhabi and will be linked to the city by two bridges – with at least three leading property developers having launched projects within their designated areas.

Sorouh Real Estate has embarked upon its record-breaking Sky Tower, which is the signature development of its flagship Dh25 billion ($6.8 billion) Shams Abu Dhabi on Al Reem Island, among a string of infrastructure projects such as bridges and highways.
A total of 8,000 cu m of concrete was poured into the first and second half of the raft foundation of the iconic tower in June, marking the largest concrete pour at Al Reem Island.
The concrete pour marked a significant milestone for the Sky Tower, with a number of consultants and builders having been involved in finalising the start of a sequence of major concrete pours on the foundations and basements that will support the 74-storey tower. This raft foundation also forms the lowest level of the three basement parking levels. It took more than 1,000 concrete mixer trucks to deliver the concrete for the raft foundation.
“If we were to line up the trucks in one straight line, it will be more than 8 km long. This is a monumental task and a very significant milestone,” says Dr Mohamed Newera, project director of Sorouh Real Estate.
The construction of Sky Tower is being undertaken by Arabian Construction Company (ACC), the contractor which has been awarded a Dh2.259 billion contract to build the Sky Tower and its sister tower. ACC crews spent a week pouring each floor, with at least three days in between to prepare each floor for upcoming pours. Preparation involved the installation of mechanical pipe sleeves, welded wire fabric reinforcement, electrical conduits and welded perimeter closure angles.
“We are thrilled to see the Sky Tower progress on schedule. When we chose ACC to undertake construction of the Sky Tower project for us, we believed that they would excel in meeting our expectations of quality, efficiency and on time delivery. So far, they have done just that,” says Dr Adnan Sahli, executive director of projects at Sorouh Real Estate.
The elliptical-shaped Sky Tower in Sorouh’s Gate District on Al Reem Island will rise to 300 m and be Abu Dhabi’s tallest building when completed. It will offer unrivalled opportunities to own residential or commercial property at the most prestigious address with spectacular panoramic views of the Gulf and Abu Dhabi. The Sky Tower is scheduled for completion in 2009. The Gate District is a cluster of eight towers located at the entrance to Shams, Abu Dhabi. Now architecturally renowned worldwide the Dh11 billion residential, office and retail development is designed as a gateway to the peninsula from Reem Island.
Shams Abu Dhabi will be a new self-sustaining city of canals and parks which integrates world-class master planning practices and extends the lush green of Abu Dhabi’s landscape. Apart from the Gate District, Shams Abu Dhabi will have four other neighbourhoods – Garden District, Central Park, Theatre District and Marina District.
Among other developments, Sorouh Real Estate has recently invited 10 companies to bid for the multi-million-dollar roads and utilities construction package for Shams Abu Dhabi, which is expected to cover 25 per cent of Al Reem Island.
“Our decision will be influenced by two key factors. The first is an assurance that the project is completed at the highest quality in a timely manner and improves the safety and easy access for the 55,000 residents projected for Shams,” says Mounir Haidar, CEO, Sorouh Real Estate.
“The second factor is based on the contractors’ understanding of our vision for Shams Abu Dhabi to create state-of-the-art roads and utilities that will complement the beauty of this development. We will ensure the timely delivery of this project and will offer our residents and investors an exceptional environment to live, work, relax, stay healthy and grow intellectually, and that starts with the infrastructure development,” adds Haidar.
The 10 contractors who have been invited to submit tenders to this phase include Admak General Contracting Company, Al Geemi & Partners Contracting Company, Al Harbi Emirates Company, Al Jaber, Bin Hafeez General Contracting Transport, Todini, National Projects and Construction, Orascom Construction industries, Admac and Terna, who were all chosen based on the pre-qualification procedure and their position in the market.
The road network within the mega-city has been planned by Sorouh to integrate into the landscape of the city to allow smooth traffic movement and access to all areas whilst also providing a safe and pleasant environment for pedestrians.
“To make it pleasant for pedestrians, passive cooling systems utilising cooled water in the canal systems will render the canal tow-paths cooler than the surroundings. There will also be canal-side cafes and ‘pocket-parks’ shops that will enhance the pedestrian’s experience.”
“The concepts for the road designs have been developed taking into account the aesthetics of the structures individually and as a whole. The objective is to create a sense of identity for each district in Sorouh by creating a distinctive visual appearance,” points out Haidar.
The developer has already awarded a Dh223 million ($60.71 million) bridge contract to Nurol Construction and Trading Company. Nurol was selected from a list of 12 contractors and under the terms of the agreement has 640 days to finish the construction of 13 bridges at the Shams Abu Dhabi project.
In all, 13 bridges will be constructed across 4 km of artificial canals that will run through the Shams Abu Dhabi Project in all four directions. Each of the five neighbourhoods – Garden District, Central Park, Theatre District, Marina District and Gate District that are slated for development – will have a distinct style with the bridges complementing the overall aesthetic of each district.
The bridges form part of the loop road bridging the open canals and the waterways. Moreover, they will carry and transport all utility duct banks including gas, power, and district cooling, among other services.
Particular attention will also be paid by Nurol in regards to bridge aesthetic and lighting to create the appropriate design and lighting levels for safety whilst maintaining an ambience appropriate to each district.
Haidar points out that the concepts for the structures have been developed taking into account the visual impact of the structures. The objective is to create a sense of identity for each district by creating a distinctive visual appearance.
The infrastructure work is proceeding according to plan, with the development expected to be completed by 2011.
Meanwhile, Luxury Real Estate Development – which has purchased two prime plots at Shams Abu Dhabi to develop two residential buildings – has launched work on the first of these developments, the Mangrove Place Enabling works have started on site at Mangrove Place, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.
Located adjacent to the Sky Tower and the Gate District, Mangrove Place, with its state-of-the-art leisure facilities and services, is a luxurious mid-rise waterfront development with fantastic terraces and balconies offering stunning and uninterrupted canal and sea views.
The development offers a range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and a limited selection of townhouses and penthouses. These European-Style homes have been carefully planned to maximise indoor and outdoor living as well as space and light. The cleverly-designed interiors are complemented by neutral, contemporary finishes to create a modern home.
Mangrove Place properties boast spectacular fitted kitchens, access to a luxurious swimming pool, fully equipped gym and manned 24-hour reception. Each property will also have private car parking.
Ausama Zubaidi, CEO of Luxury Real Estate comments: “In order to meet Sorouh’s high standards, we have focused on two key areas, the first is skilful planning and design of the apartments with the intelligent utilisation of space, and the second, delivering exceptional quality, on time within a very affordable budget.”
Mangrove Place has a prime waterfront location with a pedestrian promenade offering scenic views of the native mangroves and the marina. As well as easy access to coffee shops, restaurants and exclusive boutiques in the heart of the Shams commercial district, the development is just minutes away from the centre of Abu Dhabi

Najmat Abu Dhabi
Another project being developed at Al Reem is the Dh30 billion ($8.16 billion) Najmat Abu Dhabi, where Reem Developers recently announced that development work was progressing ahead of schedule. National Projects and Construction (NPC) is undertaking further grading works, following completion of the similar work on the first phase.
Spread across 16 million sq ft, Najmat, the Star of Abu Dhabi, has been designed to offer best-of-the-breed facilities in waterfront and island living. Situated next to the bridge connecting Al Reem Island to the Abu Dhabi city, the project is expected to feature several mixed-use tower buildings will form the central business district, surrounded by retail and entertainment components. Around 55 per cent of the land is expected to feature parks and paths, children’s playgrounds, bicycle routes
Excavation work is under way for the three marinas and a grand within the development. The Dh201 million contract to develop the marinas and the canal was awarded to China Harbour Engineering.
“The three marinas form the lifeline of the Najmat Abu Dhabi development which will offer a superior ambience of island living, yet closer to the main land. The development of marinas follow an in depth study on marine environment as part of our analysis of the environmental impact of the project” says Manish Joshi, general manager, Reem Developers.
“Furthermore, the Najmat Abu Dhabi marine works have been designed by Halcrow International in association with Hyder Consulting. The marine modelling and hydrodynamic study for Najmat Abu Dhabi, conducted by Halcrow, is considered as one of the most successful models of its kind,” he adds.
The three marinas – Bay Centre Marina with a 250 m diameter, Residential Marina with a 200-m diameter and Resort Marina with a 180-m diameter – are strategic to the aesthetic layout of the project. The marinas linked by a canal will traverse the spine of the development from northwest to south east. Furthermore, together the marinas and canals will allow future use of boats and water taxis within the development. The canal works alone will involve a construction of 3,800 m long quay walls. Additionally, the reclamation for the three marinas will also create three island parks across 23 hectares and a separate tender will be floated for landscaping later.
Through the creation of a holistic community, Najmat Abu Dhabi will host a population of more than 80,000 when it is complete in 2012, with the first homes ready for occupation in 2008. The project will comprise aesthetic, award-winning architecture across a complete and varied city-to-village infrastructure built around an integrated and efficient road and pathway system. The buildings will be a mix of traditional Arabian and contemporary architecture, and will be graded in height according to district and marina coast or seaside. As a result, the skyline will rise and fall according to urban design.
The project will include comprehensive infrastructure, schools, health facilities, public parks and modern public transport systems. The central business district (CBD) has the highest density area in the project. A number of 40 and 50-storey mixed use towers wrap around the central location of the retail and the entertainment district, with two iconic 80-storey buildings at the heart. The marina environment will deliver a huge sense of civic amenities. The development will be completed with the addition of two five-star hotels and an island resort at the eastern tip of Najmat Abu Dhabi.

Marina Square
Meanwhile, Tamouh Investments has partnered with Malaysian contracting giant SPK Bina Puri joint venture for the execution of Phase 1 Marina Square (Plot 1) Zone B Residential, a commercial and recreational development of Al Reem Island. Zone B Residential consists of Blocks B1 and B2 that will share a common-ground mosque, parking area, landscaped, recreational and retail areas as well as separate towers of 202 residential units as well as an exclusive VIP apartment level each.
In order to guarantee high quality and timely completion of its first plot of Marina Square, Tamouh has turned to SPK Bina Puri based on its reputation for efficient and successful project delivery.
“It is an honour to partner with SPK Bina Puri JV which has an excellent track record in state-of-the-art development and construction projects consisting of housing estates, high-rise condominiums and commercial offices as well as infrastructural works such as highway constructions in Malaysia and abroad,” says Joe CT Ong, CEO of Tamouh Investments, while speaking at the signing ceremony in June.
“We are confident that the rich collective experiences of Tamouh and SPK Bina Puri’s management teams and staff members will have a substantial influence on the successful and timely delivery of the first phase of the first plot of Marina Square,” he adds.
The Marina Square, a multi-use project covering an area of 13.2 million sq ft, consists off a shopping arcade, eight Cineplex’s, branded retail outlets, restaurants, a marina, a five star hotel facing the marina, private beach access and sports facilities. It will also host community facilities that will cater to the residents’ commercial, medical, spiritual and leisure needs with fully equipped clinics, mosques, parks, day-care centres and convenient outlet supermarkets.
Abu Dhabi-based Tamouh Investments is the primary developer of a number of key projects including the Marina Square, the City of Lights, Fantasy Island, Meena Hotel and Towers, and Royal Group Headquarters. The company is also partly involved in the development of two blocks of Danet Abu Dhabi, the mega mixed-use development.