Two private sector projects worth a total of Dh8.84 billion announced in in Abu Dhabi yesterday will create a combination offshore automobile and tourism complex and the region's first automobile hub, respectively.
The first project, the $2 billion (Dh7.34 billion) AutoPolis, is to be built on an island near Abu Dhabi. AutoPolis will house a major regional distribution centre for car manufacturers and dealers.
It will also offer amenities for tourists, including a museum, hotel, auto-related shops, an exhibition and convention centre, a theme park and villas.
"AutoPolis will serve as the focal rallying point for the Middle East's auto industry," said Ahmad Mohammad Al Romaithi, president of Four Directions LLC, one of the promoters.
Promoters expect Auto-Polis to become a major regional tourist attraction. "It will not only put Abu Dhabi on the world map when it comes to architectural excellence, but also on the tourist map," Al Romaithi said. "The complex will have two major zones, the Autovention and the Auto-venture zones," he said.
Autovention will contain showrooms, office complexes and other commercial facilities. Autoventure will give AutoPolis visitors a chance to test drive cars. It will include other entertainment-oriented venues.
Singapore's Surbana International Consultants is working on the design for AutoPolis. The firm boasts projects in 41 cities in ten countries. This is its first Middle East project.
The second project, the Dh1.5 billion Autohub, will be set up at Mussafah Industrial City. It will cluster automobile operators, distributors, manufacturers and auto-related industries.
Four Directions LLC and Al Salem Group, the two Abu Dhabi-based companies promoting the AutoPolis and Autohub, have formed Elite Investment House to manage the development process for both projects.
