A multi-billion-dollar coastal satellite city in the Gulf Arab emirate of Dubai took another step towards fruition Wednesday with the opening of the mega development's first bridge.
"The project has taken years to plan, develop and co-ordinate," Mohammad Ali Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties, told reporters as he cut the ribbon to open the first of seven bridges in Westside Marina.
The marina will consist of "a complex of high and low-rise office and residential buildings, shopping and entertainment facilities as well as cafes and restaurants, all overlooking the magnificent Arabian coast," Alabbar said.
Plans for the 4.4-billion-dollar city of 100,000 people are on the grandiose scale of comparable schemes in Dubai, ever looking to diversify sources of income away from oil revenues.
The marina is situated next to Dubai Internet City (DIC), billed as the world's first Internet free-trade zone, and another groundbreaking project that aims to place the tiny emirate at the top of the high-tech ladder.
The first phase of DIC, which will offer 100-percent foreign ownership, 50-year renewable land leases and world-class logistics, is due to open by the end of the year at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars.
Adrian Vinck, Emaar's general manager of the Westside project, said they hope to draw on people working at DIC to fill the accommodation.
"We expect up to 100,000 people to live here within the next 15 to 20 years," Vinck told AFP. "The growth rate in the Emirates is exponential. We do not think we are being over-optimistic in expecting that number of people. The first people are due to move in in 2003, and locals and expatriates alike will be able to buy property."
Vinck said the first phase, over 10 hectares (25 acres), will see the construction of six tower blocks offering 1,276 apartments, as well as villas, shops and restaurants.
So far, a staggering five million cubic meters (175 million cubic feet) of soil has been removed to form the canal, which will have a surface area of 53 hectares (130 acres) and be linked to the shallow waters of the Gulf at either end.
The canal will stretch for four-and-a-half kilometers (three miles) and be around four meters (13 feet) deep, with one end housing the prestigious Dubai Victory powerboat team.
Vinck said he expected the first half of the canal to be filled with water in around four weeks, while Emaar's sales center is also due to open "shortly" to start selling condominiums.
Development of the marina will follow in nine other phases that include construction of more apartment blocks, commercial and retail areas and up to 10 new hotels, which will see 4,000 laborers working at the site.
Emaar plans to link the marina with its other major development in the area, the nearby Emirates Hills, a plush estate of more than 500 villas. — (AFP, Dubai)
by Luke Phillips
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
