The making of a thoroughbred city

Meydan, a signature master community being built around a race course and a grandstand, will host the 2010 racing World Cup

This is one developer who will not jump the gun. Rather than use the platform provided by Cityscape Dubai 2008, Meydan decided to hold back property sales by a further two months or so. And it has done so with good reason.

"We had been working very hard in Ramadan to try and make it for Cityscape, but unfortunately with all the other pressures around we could not make it," informs Mohammad Abdulla Al Hathboor, Project Development Manager at Meydan, which is creating a signature master community around a swank race course and grandstand that will host the 2010 racing World Cup.

"It's not part of our habit to start selling if not all our paperwork is ready. This is an approach Meydan takes very strictly especially with the other developers that are in Meydan City.

"We do not allow anybody to launch or sell or even market without having their proper documentation ready, as in costs and approvals from different departments."

With the largest grandstand in the world and able to accommodate 60,000 race-goers, Meydan is being billed as the most iconic horseracing venue ever constructed.

The development - under construction by a joint venture between Arabtec and Malaysia's WCT Engineering - spans 76 million square feet and features state-of-the-art dirt and turf tracks, a Dh4 billion, kilometre-long grandstand and a five-star hotel.

Also calling for attention in the future will be the Meydan museum and Dubai Racing Club. A canal will run from Dubai Creek offering race goers a unique opportunity to arrive at the races by boat.

Meydan is on track to complete its brand new race course and grandstand in time to host the Dubai World Cup in March 2010.

"There are so many challenges when you are working on a fast-paced project. We have had issues with different authorities, (completing) paper works and procedures," the official adds.

"But now things have eased up and there have been collaborations between us and the RTA and DEWA. Two weeks ago we signed a Dh1 billion contract for the building of new roads and bridges that lead to the grandstand."

Adjacent to all of this will be Meydan City and the Meydan Business Park. These areas of the masterplan will not be ready until at least 2015.

"Meydan City needs at least seven to eight years to develop," says Al Hathboor. "It's a huge piece of land - more than 150 million square feet.

We target 2015-16 maximum to finish the entire project. We are pushing our developers to start building now. If you go past the land site, you will see people are doing soil investigations to start construction now."

The RTA has awarded a Dh1 billion contract to Avecon Co for the first phase of the road network around the racehorse complex.

RTA's Executive Director Mattar Al Tayer describes it as 'one of the key projects undertaken by the RTA'. Phase 2 of the roads project will be put out to tender in the near future.

Commencement on the road network puts the project on target for completion.

"All of this development will be ready by 2010 with the canal. This is our major target now to have it all ready as promised," says Mohammad Abdulla Al Hathboor.