Nakheel unveils new housing for workers

Dubai: Nakheel is redefining the standard of workforce accommodation in Dubai by introducing Omran workforce accommodation, a development that will improve the quality of life of both construction workers and hospitality staff in Dubai, said Shehab Al Orabi, senior development manager, Waterfront, Nakheel yesterday.

According to hotel industry officials, hospitality industry in the Middle East alone will demand more than 1.5 million staff by 2020 and housing them properly is one of the challenges ahead of the industry, Al Orabi told Skal Club, a professional organisation of tourism leaders around the world uniting all branches of travel and tourism industry like hotels and travel agencies.

That is why Nakheel is seeking to increase and improve workforce accommodation because a happy workforce is a productive workforce.

Omran, the first workforce accommodation of its kind, will have up to 60,000 bed facilities upon its completion.

The cost of living for construction workforce will start at Dh55 per person per day, while for hospitality industry workforce the cost will start at Dh70 per person per day and it will have a minimum stay requirement of one year.

Location

The facility, which will be located in Jabel Ali area close to Palm Jabel Ali, will be an air-conditioned, fully furnished facility with a library, prayer areas, medical clinic, laundry services and it will offer three meals a day to residents. Omran will also have retail outlets such as a supermarket, postal services, barber shop and ATMs.

Al Orabi said stage one of the development, which will house 10,000 workers, is almost done. It will have 5,000 beds for construction workforce, which will be 100 per cent male population, and another 5,000 beds for hotel industry workforce, which will be 80 per cent male population and 20 per cent female population.

According to Al Orabi, in the future, perhaps from stage two, Nakheel will consider family type accommodation since there is a great interest in that type of facility.