International City's first building handed over

Dubai: UAE property developer Nakheel has handed over the first of 387 buildings at International City and aims to deliver 75 per cent of the project's residential buildings by the end of the year.

The company says the remaining 25 per cent of apartments in the 800 hectare development in the Al Warsan area of Dubai will be handed over by mid-2007.

The first property to change hands was a four storey mixed-use building based in a China cluster of the project's residential district.

Developed by main contractor Al Shafar Transport and Contracting, the building was handed over to owner Abraj Property Developers at a ceremony attended by Nakheel's CEO Chris O'Donnell, International City's general manager Rashid Al Helli, and Abraj Property Developers managing director Sa'ad Al Zein.

"It gives us great satisfaction to be the very first recipients of a building in Nakheel's International City. We will immediately start turning over residential apartments to our unit buyers, who are looking forward to their final hand over date," said Al Zein.

Al Helli added: "Today presents a key milestone for International City and Nakheel the project is progressing as per schedule and we are looking to follow today up with a systematic hand over for all completed buildings."

International City is split into five districts, The Central District, Dragon Mart, The Residential District, The Lake District and The Forbidden City.