Business | Property
More Gulf developments to go green
A environmentally inspired real estate development that goes against Dubai's building norms is set to be replicated throughout the region.
- By Robert Ditcham, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 April 6, 2007
- About 80 per cent of the Al Barari sanctuary will comprise open green areas, woodland, scented gardens and water elements.
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A environmentally inspired real estate development that goes against Dubai's building norms is set to be replicated throughout the region.
With the rapid rate of development in the emirate, most developers have focused on building high density beachfront residential towers or villas.
Developers of the Dh6.6 billion Al Barari sanctuary in the Nad Al Sheba area say they planned the project's green spaces first and added the real estate components later.
About 80 per cent of the 14.2 million square foot mixed-use project will be made up of open green areas, woodland, scented gardens, water elements such as lakes and streams and six themed botanical gardens.
Al Barari Development Company has identified two sites in Abu Dhabi for similar concepts and also has its eye on locations in Oman, Saudi Arabia and other UAE emirates.
The company will announce the two Abu Dhabi projects "very shortly", said CEO Nadia Zaal.
Meanwhile, construction on phase one of the company's flagship Al Barari project is up and running. Al Naboodah Contracting has started excavation and sub-structure works as well as roads construction and infrastructure networks. Officials say phase one is on target for handover by the end of August 2008.
In a new move for Dubai-based developers, purchasers will earn interest on amounts paid if there are completion delays of more than six months, the company said.
The nine million square foot phase one includes 306 five- to seven-bedroom luxury villas priced Dh14 million on average. Sales have hit Dh2 billion since they started eight months ago, the company said, adding that a new batch of villas was released recently.
The second phase will consist of a 130-room boutique hotel with 35 attached chalets, a self-sustained village, which has been named Kasbah, an alternative therapy complex called Healing Haven and a nursery of plants.
Explaining the initial concept behind the project, Zaal said: "We wanted to mark a new era of living in Dubai to create communities that embody a certain state of mind - a peaceful mind that is inspired by nature. Our flagship project is about celebrating our inherent love of nature."
However, critics will wonder how environmentally-sustainable the project can be in Dubai's climate.
"We are doing everything possible and spending significant amounts to make sure the service charges are not excessively high and maintenance is sustainable," said Zaal.
Fact file: Details about theAl Barari project
- Water consumption phase one: 6300 cubic metres of high. quality potable water per day and 7800 cubic metres of high quality treated sewage effluent.
- Number of trees in phase one: Approximately 30,553 (including palm trees, ornamental and fruit trees).
- Population - phase one: 1,836. Phase two: 9,952.
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