Nujoom Islands in Hamriyah Free Zone is Sharjah’s newest mixed-use waterfront destination. The development has ten islands connected by bridges and covers more than 60 million sq ft.
The project hit the market when close to 500 plots on Al Thuraya Island, of around 2.7 million sq ft, were released for sale. The plots on the 5-million-sq-ft Al Thuraya Island, which lies in the centre of the multi-island development, allows homeowners to build their island dream home.
“The project is open to everyone. Gulf nationals can buy freehold and other expats can buy on a leasehold basis [rent for 100 years],” says Dr Omer A. Mashabi, CEO of Al Hanoo Real Estate, the project’s developer. “We have started taking reservations and had hundreds of inquiries during Cityscape Global.”
The villas come in several designs, including beach, canal and avenue villas that range from three- to five-bedroom configurations.
Mashabi says the project stands out because of the construction techniques used in creating the islands. Instead of reclaiming land, the developer created canals measuring 100 to 300 metres in width to form new islands, retaining 95 per cent of the project’s natural land, while creating 36km of new waterfront. It took the developer around four years to create the islands, with Halcrow and a company from Amsterdam taking on the challenging engineering tasks.
“Our islands are built inland, not out in the deep sea,” says Mashabi. “What I mean is that we created canals, but maintained the natural flow of water coming in, which is environmentally better and makes the islands safer and more stable in terms of engineering. Of course, we have built some protection at the end of the project. But, still, we’re inland — it’s safer and built in harmony with the sea.”
Each island will have its own beach park and show villas are available for potential buyers to see.
“Each seaside villa has its own beach. We have built some homes so buyers can get an idea and can choose which one they want,” says Mashabi.
Build your own home
Buyers can tap the services of the project’s main contractor, Darwish Engineering Emirates Contracting, to build their villas for around Dh300 per sq ft. The plots are priced between Dh400 and Dh700 per sq ft, depending on the location, the view and other amenities. These prices are some of the cheapest for island villas.
“The main idea behind this project was to provide affordable plots for middle-income earners to afford their own villas, either as a first or a second home,” explains Mashabi.
The developer will also build various community facilities on each island, including parks, playgrounds, pools, tennis courts, retail centres and a corniche. There is also a community centre at the entrance of the Nujoom project, featuring retail, leisure and entertainment offerings, offices, a five-star hotel, a mosque and apartments.
“The centre will serve the whole Sharjah, as well as Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, because these emirates are so close to us,” says Mashabi. “The infrastructure is ready. We are now discussing with some clients to build it.
“We will build according to demand, so we are still flexible in regard to design, but we expect to have a tower of more than 100 floors.”
Residents can also expect a large marina, while 12 hotels will be distributed across the ten islands, ranging from three to five stars. This is aimed to make Nujoom an attractive weekend destination.
Project for all
“We’re currently talking to several operators for the hotel at the entrance of the project. We expect to complete the whole project within the next three to fours years,” says Mashabi.
Following the completion of Al Thuraya Island, the developer will then focus on the community centre at the entrance of the project and then the marina.
“We don’t want to start everything at once. Each part will be developed according to our standards and needs. We want to create a quality project,” says Mashabi. “We may start selling plots on the other islands when work on the entrance community centre starts.”
