Abu Dhabi-based Aldar Properties collaborates with Greek visual artist Chronis Spanos for a unique initiative, Maraya. Maraya, which means mirrors in Arabic, consists of 30 visual portrayals of the capital’s geometry of urban space. Spanos transforms the architectural axes, constructive details and angles into unique pieces of abstract art through photography. He aims to present a juxtaposition of modernity and tradition. The exhibition will be open to public from 10:00-22:00 at Yas Mall’s Pearl Court, from 19 to 22 November, on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Art 2015. H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO of Aldar, said: “These photographs not…
Author: Paromita Dey
Tilal Properties revealed the advantages available to investors of AED2.4bn development, Tilal City, when connecting to Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) on 10 November 2015. The developer revealed that the SEWA infrastructure within the development, allows for faster turnaround of connections. During the planning process, Tilal used a highest possible population estimate to ensure all required infrastructure is provided. Haysam Jazairi, business development executive director at Tilal Properties, said: “We know that handling utility connections can often be a time-consuming, complicated and expensive process, which is why we worked closely with SEWA from the outset to ensure the best…
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) won two awards at the Asian Smart Cities Awards 2015 on 10 November. The award ceremony held under the theme ‘Asian Sustainability Pioneers’ was organised by the Asian Leadership Summit, and held at Taj Dubai Hotel in Burj Khalifa. DEWA won in two categories, ‘Smart Utilities Initiative’ and ‘Smart Technology for Smart City’. H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said that the smart grid initiative is a key step in the implementation of the Distributed Renewable Resources Generation (DRRG) programme to reduce demand and achieve energy efficiency and operational improvement.…
UAE-based RAK Ceramics acquired 8% minority shares of its subsidiary RAK India, and now fully owns operations in India. The company setup operations in India nine years ago to capitalise on rising demand, growing construction projects, high urbanisation rates and government direction towards sanitisation. It has three production lines in India, with a current capacity of 8 million square metres of tiles. The announcement follows RAK Ceramics’ recent 100% acquisition of its Iranian operations. In 2014, RAK India operations contributed 16% of total tiles sales volume and 13% of sanitary ware. Based on these results, the company now aims to…
Taj Concrete has opened a training facility in Dubai on 10 November 2015, with classrooms and workshops to train hundreds of students how to use decorative concrete in construction. Acoording to Matthew Burns, general manager of Taj Concrete, there is a huge scope for a decorative concrete market, as a significant increase in demand has left the industry short of qualified. He explained: In less than 6 months I’ve had over 12,000 visits to my website. I’m also getting calls from contractors because there are not enough people in the industry who understand how to use it. “Our training facility…
Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) announced the completion of the Shakhbout City masterplan on 9 November 2015. The development, which includes housing, parks, mosques, and hospitals, has been formally handed over to Abu Dhabi Municipality for implementation. The project was a close collaboration between UPC and all government stakeholders, including the ADM, Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), the Health Authority -Abu Dhabi (HAAD), General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (AWQAF), Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) and Abu Dhabi Housing Authority (ADHA). The development, located next to Zayed City, covers a total area of 1,854 hectares and aims to…
Ventures Middle East Onsite report, commissioned by The Big 5 show, revealed the value of contract awards for healthcare will increase by $1.45bn in 2015. According to the report, GCC Healthcare Construction Market Outlook, contracts worth $5.9bn in 2014 is set to rise to $7.3bn this year as population grows, with higher per capita income and life expectancy driving demand for healthcare services. Event director at dmg events, organiser of The Big 5, Josine Heijmans said: “Populations across the GCC are increasing in number, disposable income, and lifestyle and what this latest report demonstrates is that higher birth rates and…
The Emirates Green Building Council launched the Energy Efficiency Online Database which will help facilitating building retrofit projects by streamlining the energy efficiency market in the UAE. The online database will be accessible through the EGBC website. The concept goes in line with EGBC’s Energy Efficiency Programme launched last year with an aim to bridge industry experts with future energy projects. The online feature complements the programme, providing members with instant access to the Energy Efficiency Database. According to chair of EGBC Saeed Al Abbar, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of awareness of the different players involved.…
With a booming tourism sector and rising economy, Turkey has soon become a hotspot for modern real estate. Construction Business News ME examines the market and how it could affect countries within the GCC As Turkey’s thriving real estate sector gets international attention, it still remains a hotspot for most GCC investors. “In 2014, Gulf investors spent $4.3bn in Turkish real estate, reaching a total investment influx of $16.29bn over the past six years,” says Wouter Molman, director of Cityscape Group. According to him, Turkish participation in Cityscape Global has grown by 50% this year and there are no signs…
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) along with the International Renewable Energy Authority (IRENA) hosted a joint workshop on accelerating residential solar in UAE at Raffles Dubai on November 8 this year. Mohamed El-Farnawany, director of strategic management and execution direction at IRENA, said that the cost of renewables in the global market is the same, if not lower, than fossil fuels. “Renewables are becoming one of the most cost-effective source of electricity around the world. It is also economically attractive in this country, and according to IRENA’s latest joint work in the UAE, the deployment of 10% share of…