Abu Dhabi: An Abu Dhabi government committee is preparing a list of beneficiaries of a housing grant for 4,857 residential villas Aldar Properties, the emirate's biggest real-estate company, is building.

The 12.5 million square-metre plot will house more than 60,000 people in the new Al Falah residential neighbourhood, according to a statement received from Aldar Properties, the main developer.

The first phase of the project will be completed by the beginning of next year and the remainder by the end of 2012, Jabar Al Suwaidi, chairman of the emirate's housing allocation committee, was cited as saying.