Dubai airport to be featured on National Geographic

Series about the day-to-day working of the airport to be broadcast
 Dubai: National Geographic Channels International will air a 10-part documentary series on Dubai International airport in 2013, according to Dubai Airports, the body managing the airport.

The channel, in conjunction with production company Arrow Media, has commissioned a 10-part documentary series about the day-to-day working of the airport, to be broadcast to over 440 million households in 171 countries, the airport body said in a statement on Thursday, adding that the filming kicked off on September 24.

It added that titled “Dubai: Ultimate Airport”, the series will follow the daily operation of the world’s fourth busiest airport for international passenger traffic and will involve staff across Dubai’s aviation community including Emirates airline, dnata, Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Customs, Dubai Immigration, Dubai Police and Dubai Airports.

Having endorsed the project, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman, Dubai Airports Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline & Group, said it was a great opportunity for the entire Dubai aviation community.

“We have an amazing story to tell. The tremendous spirit of cooperation that occurs across the aviation enterprise in our day-to-day interactions with our customers and each other is what sets us apart. Almost half a billion people across the globe will have the opportunity to witness that teamwork,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the 10 hour-long series would mainly focus on the frontline aspects of the airport’s operations, according to Dubai Airports.

“National Geographic Channel is always at the forefront of providing viewers exclusive access to extraordinary places around the globe, and

Commenting on the series, Hamish Mykura, Executive Vice President and Head of International Content for National Geographic Channels International, said that the series combines great stories of cutting-edge engineering, technology and architecture, with an international cast of characters who deal every day with the pressures of running a very large, dynamic airport.

“What makes Dubai International particularly intriguing is that it is at the crossroads linking east and west. That gives it a unique cultural diversity,” added John Smithson, Creative Director at Arrow Media.

Dubai International handles over 50 million passengers per year and 6,000 weekly flights and the documentary would deal with the technological and engineering challenges that will lead to Dubai having the biggest international airport in the world.

http://gulfnews.com/

Dubai apartment prices up 4.9% in 2012 - Cluttons

The price of apartments in Dubai has risen by nearly five percent since the beginning of 2012 and the trend is likely to continue, real estate specialist Cluttons has said in a new report.






















The price of apartments in Dubai has risen by nearly five percent since the beginning of 2012 and the trend is likely to continue, real estate specialist Cluttons has said in a new report.
Its Q3 market report noted an overall price stability across the emirate and some price rises in specific areas.
It said apartments in Dubai have increased in value an average 4.9 percent since the beginning of 2012 while rental values increased 6.8 percent.
However, Cluttons said there were areas in the emirate that did not see any growth in prices during 2012.

Cluttons said it predicts that prices will remain relatively stable over the next 12 months, as the 24,000 residential units scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2012 will bring a large stock of supply onto the market making huge price uplifts unlikely.
Its report said the price of high-end villas rose from AED1,100 per sq ft in January to AED1,300.
Mid range villas have also witnessed a rise in sales price from just under AED750 per sq ft in January to nearly AED900.
Cluttons said that villa prices now match those seen in spring 2007, prior to the global economic crisis that resulted in a severe correction in the Dubai real estate market, when prices slumped up to 60 percent.
According to the Dubai Land Department, Dubai property transactions grew 21 percent to $17.15bn in the first half of 2012.
Cluttons said valuation instructions for both villas and apartments have increased by 23 percent since Q4 2011 and 50 percent of these represent mortgages of new property acquisitions.
Cluttons also said that proximity to metro stations in Dubai is now a factor affecting prices.
"The majority of areas close to the metro stations have maintained their demand and in most cases have increased in both capital and rental values," its report said.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/

Nakheel warns Palm residents: "it's our beach"

The beach belongs to Nakheel, it’s our beach,” the chairman of the government owned master developer, which is embroiled in an ongoing dispute with residents and tenants on the Palm Jumeirah over service charges, said in an interview this week.

 

 

“There’s no excuse for not paying.All our fees are approved by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and audited by auditors,” Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said in an interview with a local newspaper. Nakheel’s long running battle with its customers on the Palm Jumeirah started last December when it banned more than 1,300 residents from using the beaches and gyms at its Shoreline Apartments residences and claimed it was owed US$20m in unpaid service charges.
The row escalated when Nakheel drained all six swimming pools at another development, its prestigious Marina Residences towers.

When asked if the developer planned to take control of the man-made island’s beach area Lootah said: “The beach belongs to Nakheel, it’s our beach. We will go as per the contract we sign. I don’t want to elaborate more. Whatever is there in the contract, we will respect it. It is not what people think they are entitled to.”
“People are not paying service charges. How can we arrange the necessary facilities? If nobody is attending the swimming pools, do I leave it unattended? What is the safest way to deal with it?” he added.
Lootah said that the situation had begun to improve and those with outstanding charges “have started to pay their dues”.
“I would like to add that Nakheel’s service fees are among the cheapest in town and there are certain people who recognise this,” he added.
Earlier this year, real estate agents told Arabian Business that some of their tenants are now shunning apartments on Palm Jumeirah developments as a result of the row over unpaid service fees.
“The articles written recently about the problems of service charges or lack of payments to properties on the Palm are, I am sure, having a negative effect,” Mario Volpi, head of residential sales and leasing at Cluttons, said in June.
“When we are offering a wide selection of properties there does now appear to be a reluctance [towards] the Nakheel properties on the palm. The questions from prospective tenants are mainly along the lines of whether the landlord is up to date with his/her maintenance payments,” he added.
Patricia Fernandes, assistant manager of residential sales and leasing at Better Homes, echoed this sentiment and said tenants were now “being extremely cautious” about renewing leases on the Palm.
“It’s been noticed that quite a few tenants who have been renting on the Palm for a while now are extremely frustrated and no longer wish to renew their leases, or are looking to break their lease for the obvious reasons of limited or no access to on-site amenities," she said.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/
 

Emaar's The Address The BLVD serviced residences sold out on first day of public launch

The Address The BVLD serviced residences, the newest residential offering of Emaar Properties in Downtown Dubai, recorded a sell-out response to all the units that were released for sale, on the very first day of its launch. Customers queued several days prior to the public launch to buy the residences released for sale at Emaar Sales Centre. 

 

 

The overwhelming response to the launch of Emaar's new five star Address hotel and luxurious serviced residences is testament to the robust growth of the city's hospitality and property sectors, and builds on the success of Emaar's project launches earlier this year.

The Address The BLVD has 200 hotel rooms and 542 serviced residences including studios, 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom units. Emaar released a significant volume of the studios, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom serviced residences at the launch, which have all been sold out.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director, Emaar Properties, said: "The strong response to the launch of The Address The BLVD is an indication of the robust demand for premium developments in established lifestyle communities. Downtown Dubai, described as 'The Centre of Now,' offers investors the opportunity to become part of one of Dubai's most sought-after locations.

"The sell-out of the serviced residences that were offered for sale demonstrates the strong investor confidence in the development credentials of Emaar, while underlining the positive growth trends witnessed in Dubai's real estate sector. We are committed to upholding the highest standards in the development of The Address The BLVD for scheduled handover in 2015."

The Address The BVLD is located on Emaar Boulevard at the gateway to Downtown Dubai. Residents in the serviced residences stand to benefit from the highest service standards offered by The Address Hotel + Resorts brand. In addition to the option of staying or renting out the homes, investors can also benefit from Emaar's rental programme.

The serviced residences offer majestic views of Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Fountain, the Arabian Gulf and beyond, and are in easy access of the key business nerve-centres in the city.

The Address The BLVD will also have direct access to The Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping and entertainment destination, through a new air-conditioned bridge link, in addition to easy access to The Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa metro station.  

ameinfo.com

Art reaches new heights at At the Top, Burj Khalifa

Dubai, UAE,
September 18, 2012: An architectural masterpiece and home to an exquisite collection of artworks by global artists, Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, has now inspired Emirati artist, Hamad Al Falasi, to present a creative interpretation of what the tower means to him.

Dubai-based The Ara Gallery's 'Art At the Top' competition gained strong participation from Emirati artists, with all the artworks submitted bringing personal insights on how the 'Global Icon' and ‘civic pride of Dubai' is perceived by the creative community of the UAE.
From several submissions received, five works – all by Emirati artists – based on the theme 'What does Burj Khalifa mean to you?' the winning work by Hamad Al Falasi was announced at a special ceremony held at the reception of At the Top, Burj Khalifa, the world's highest observatory deck with an outdoor terrace.
Following this, At the Top, Burj Khalifa will showcase Hamad's work for six months, bringing to art-lovers for the first time an exquisite creative expression of the influence that Burj Khalifa has on the artistic community.
Ahmad Al Falasi, Executive Director, Property Management, Emaar Properties, said: "Burj Khalifa is now an integral referral point for residents and tourists to Dubai, with the magnificent presence of the tower in the city's skyline reminding them of what humanity can achieve through team work. The tower's majestic architecture is also an inspiration for the creative community, bringing out not just figurative artistic responses but also abstract concepts that build on the tower's varied facets including its height. The submissions received for The Ara Gallery's initiative present several impressive insights on how our artists perceive the tower."
Moza Alabbar representing The Ara Gallery, said: "As an art institution, we could think of a better benchmark for inspiration than Burj Khalifa. It is a sterling example of Dubai and its accomplishments, and through this contest, we captured the creative association that our artists make with the tower."
Dubai-based Hamad Al Falasi's 'Historical Moment... Historical Monument' examines the relationship between stillness and mobility attributed to Burj Khalifa. The digital photograph analyses the journey that people from around the world make to experience the marvel of Burj Khalifa, until they find themselves standing in front of the tower, only to find both time and their admiration at a standstill.
Burj Khalifa already has a rich history in promoting arts. Over 1,000 pieces of art by prominent International and Middle Eastern artists adorn the interiors of Burj Khalifa and the surrounding Emaar Boulevard. Many of the pieces have been specially commissioned by Emaar as a tribute to the spirit of global harmony.
One of the compelling art pieces in Burj Khalifa is Jaume Plensa's 'World Voices' which is composed of 196 cymbals that represent 196 countries of the world. Horizontally suspended onto titanium rods anchored at the bottom of two pools, symbolizing reeds in a lake, each gold-plated cymbal is embossed with the name of a country. Cast in bronze and brass alloy and plated with 18-carat gold, the cymbals are finished by hand to create a distinct timbre as they are struck by dripping water.
Anchoring Emaar's flagship development, Downtown Dubai, Burj Khalifa is a mixed-use tower featuring luxurious residences, commercial suites and the world's first Armani Hotel and Armani Residences. The tower also has a rich array of luxurious amenities including four swimming pools, a private library, an exclusive residents' lounge, health and wellness facilities, and At.mosphere, the world’s highest fine dining restaurant at Level 122.
At the Top, Burj Khalifa, a must-visit tourist destination, offers visitors sweeping views of the city of Dubai, across the Arabian Gulf. An educational and inspirational journey, visitors can learn all about the grandeur of Burj Khalifa, and the history of Dubai and its evolution through impressive sight and sound displays. High speed express elevators take visitors to Level 124, transporting them to a world of scenic vistas.
The entrance to At the Top, Burj Khalifa is located in The Dubai Mall’s lower ground level. For further information, contact www.atthetop.ae or 800 AT THE TOP (800 28 843 867).

emaar.com

The Address The BLVD Floor Plans

credits to emaar

1 Bed Room




2 bed room





3 bed room




emaar 2012

Emaar to build another Address Hotel in Dubai

The Address The BLVD, a five star premium hotel and serviced residence

Dubai: Emaar Properties PJSC, the global property developer of iconic real estate assets, will build the sixth addition to The Address Hotels, The Address The BLVD, a five-star premium hotel and serviced residences, Emaar announced today. 

Billed to be another sterling addition to Dubai’s skyline, the 63-storey hotel is 340 metres high, and will be the second tallest building in Downtown Dubai, next to Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. The property will feature 200 hotel rooms and 542 serviced residences,

which includes studios and one, two, three and four-bedroom serviced residences. Work on the project will commence shortly while the completion date is scheduled in early to mid 2015.

Arif Amiri, chief executive of Emaar Retail, told media: “The launching of this project is underlining the positive growth of Dubai’s property sector and the robust gains recorded by the city’s tourism and hospitality sectors.”

Amiri refused to give the value or the cost of the hotel referring that it will be inclusive with the total value of Emaar Downtown projects which are worth $20 billion.

Moreover, he remarked that the finance of this project has been managed through the pre-sales of the serviced apartments.

“There is a very strong appetite of investors from GCC, Middle East, India, China and Europe which we would like to capture.”

He said: “The sale of serviced residences in The Address The BLVD, builds on the success of Emaar’s project launches earlier this year. With the new project, investors have the opportunity to become part of Downtown Dubai, one of the city’s most sought-after lifestyle destinations, described as ‘The Centre of Now.’ “In addition to the option of staying or renting out, they can also benefit from Emaar’s rental programme,” Amiri added.

gulfnews 

emaar launch The Address The Boulevard on Sept.22

Modern Art Museum & Opera House District,  the expansion of the Dubai Mall , and the fountain views after all these project emaar will launch the address blvd

 

 

The project christened - The Address The Boulevard - serviced residences will be publicly launched on September 22 ,.

more info will be on 22 sep like the floors , plot and others 

stay connected to know more information .

Al Futtaim to build new property at Festival City

Dubai: The Al Futtaim Group is getting back to building and selling residential units in its massive Dubai Festival City development, as improved property market conditions push prices back up to 2007 levels, a senior executive said on Monday. 

Ian Plumley, the general manager of property sales at the 1,300-acre mixed-use development, said prices had recovered and that demand was strong for villas and townhomes. Festival City consists of a shopping centre of two million square feet, surrounded by offices, residential buildings and a golf course.

“We’re at about Dh1,300 a square foot,” Plumley said. “I think we’re probably at late 2007 with villas and townhouses...I’m talking about when we had a sensible market on the rise.”

The company recently put 24 new townhomes on the market and has since sold half of them. Next year, Al Futtaim is planning to sell some existing residential property that it had been leasing directly to tenants, Plumley said. All of it is part of a pickup in activity after the company decided to slow down in the wake of the global financial crisis.

“Slowly, we want to take the master plan and develop it over the next 10 or 15 years,” he said. “We’re just now signing off on the next five years, which will bring us about 500 or 600 units more.”

“Every developer would have loved to develop at the pace that 2007 and 2008 was creating,” he added. “However, it was completely unsustainable. We all know that now.”

Jones Lang LaSalle estimated in a report on the second quarter of 2012 that villa sale prices had risen 21 per cent year-on-year in Dubai, while apartment sale prices were flat. About 3,000 units were added to the market in the second quarter, most of which were apartments, the consulting firm said.

These days, Plumley said families were increasingly looking to buy larger properties and settle permanently in Dubai, a contrast with the speculative fervour of the bubble. The Arab Spring has also had a positive effect, he said.

“The Arab Spring has had a huge impact on the region, and from a real estate perspective a huge impact on Dubai, and we are certainly benefiting from that,” he said. “Just looking at our inquiries, most of our inquiries are from [people from the] GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council], the Levant area or Asia, not western Europeans, not Americans.”

World’s tallest residential tower opens for occupancy

Dubai hosts the highest number of the world’s tallest towers

Dubai:The world’s tallest residential building — the 414 metres Princess Tower — has been delivered by its developer Tameer, following years of preparation, financing and construction over the last four years of economic downturn that wiped off many other projects.




















The Princess Tower, center, stands illuminated amongst other skyscrapers beyond motor cruisers moored at Dubai Marina in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Princess tower, developed by Tameer Holding, is a 107-floor residential building with a height of 414 meters and is the tallest residential building in the world.

Occupying a land area of 37,410 square feet, the Dh1.5 billion tower comprises of six basement levels, a ground floor and 100 levels above. Princess Tower offers 763 individual units, including 1, 2, 3 bedrooms and penthouses and is supported by 957 parking bays, while 8 retail shops located on ground floor. About 98 per cent of the tower has been sold out.

Earlier this year, the tower was officially recognised as the World Tallest Residential Building by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and the Guinness World Records (GWR).

Although it is exactly half the size of the 828-metres tall Burj Khalifa — Princess Tower is the tallest in Dubai Marina and currently ranks 13th tallest tower in the world, according to CTBUH.

With the latest delivery, the UAE has become host to 22 of the tallest 100 completed buildings in the world, according to the CTBUH list. China leads the race for tallest buildings hosting 31 while the United States trail the UAE with 21.

With the latest delivery, Dubai — the city of superlatives - currently outshines all other global cities in hosting the highest number of the tallest 100 buildings – with 19 of its super tall towers are amongst the tallest 100 list.

This is the second delivery by Tameer, majority owned by Saudi investors Al Rajhi Group within a few weeks. The developer earlier handed over Elite Residences — a 381 metres tall residential tower, standing just 50 metres away from Princess Tower. In terms of height, Elite Residences equals the height of Empire State Building in New York.

The delivery comes at a time, when Dubai’s property market looks up for a slow but more structured growth.

“The market has already come back,” Federico Tauber, president of Tameer, told Gulf News on the sidelines of a briefing. “We see this year as a year of consolidation and 2013 as a year for growth.”

Dubai’s overall residential market is seeing a positive trend with the villa market continuing to outperform the apartment sector in Q2 2012, Jones Lang LaSalle, said in a recent report.

According to developers, a total of 24,000 additional units are currently scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2012. “Prime residential buildings in well-established locations continue to see improved performance, but secondary locations are still suffering from rental and pricing declines,” it said.

However, the building was developed under an extremely difficult period.“The ability to face these exceptionally challenging market conditions were only achieved with the help of Tameer owners, the support and trust of our clients — whose contribution we sincerely recognise and appreciate — the efforts of our investors, contractors … among others,” he said.

This year, Tameer is poised for the delivery of five projects. In addition to Princess and Elite towers, it is delivering two towers in Business Bay and one in the International City.

“Almost all of our inventories are sold out — we are left with a few. We have a very limited land bank,” Tauber said. “However, since we are a long-term believer in Dubai’s property market, we are looking at new opportunities. We might make some announcements in the near future.”

http://gulfnews.com/

Construction work for Dubai’s first green mosque to begin soon

Dubai: Construction of Dubai’s first green mosque will begin soon as the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) on Wednesday announced that leading UAE contracting company Al Arif Contracting has been awarded the contract for its construction and maintenance.


An artist's impression of the mosque. The mosque will be one of the largest in Dubai set on a footprint of 105,000 square feet with enough space to host roughly 3,500 worshipers.

Construction work on the 45,000 square foot mosque is expected to begin soon and will be completed in 18 months. The mosque, which can accommodate up to 3,500 worshipers, will be located in a 105,000 square foot lot in Bur Saeed area close to the Clock Tower Roundabout in Deira.

“Our teams are gearing up to begin work very soon and aim to complete the project within 18 months. We look forward to leveraging our experience, technical competencies and manpower to deliver a project of exacting standards,” said Hamad Al Arif, managing director of Al Arif Contracting Company.

During construction, priority will be given to provision of green spaces and use of solar panels to generate heated water for the purposes of ablution and the imam’s house. The green building design will also enable the recycling and purifying of ablution water for irrigation and washroom supply.

The project will install thermal insulation, programmed and automatic thermostats, abd suction fans with energy recovery units. It will also use natural light and heat reflective colours especially at the interfaces and roof. A roof garden will be built for heat insulation.

The eco-friendly mosque will additionally aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the air conditioning system and avoid the use of building materials such as asbestos and polystyrene.

But AMAF won’t stop at this in its goal to adopting green building principles in the emirate. Al Rais said that AMAF will likewise convert a large number of mosques in Dubai into eco-friendly mosques and adopt green building standards as part of Dubai’s sustainable development plans.

The construction of the mosque is in line with Dubai’s recent legislation mandating all new buildings to conform to green standards.

Established 37 years ago, Al Arif Contracting is a subsidiary of Masharie, the private equity arm of Dubai Investments. During the implementation of the project, Al Arif will work closely with a specialist consultant to develop green building standards for the project.

“Al Arif won the contract from among a large number of construction companies that submitted their tender for the pilot project,” Tayeb Al Rais, Secretary General of AMAF, said.

http://gulfnews.com/