Nakheel Awards Dhs47m Contracts For Deira Islands Project

Dubai developer Nakheel has awarded design, engineering and supervision service contracts worth over Dhs47 million for its Deira Islands project.

The company has appointed AE7 for the design and supervision of the project, including master planning, parcelisation and infrastructure design, under a contract worth Dhs28 million.

AE7 was also awarded an architectural and engineering service contract worth Dhs19.5 million for the project’s Night market and Board Walk areas, two major attractions on the island.

The 15.3 square kilometre Deira Islands development uses four of the islands originally dredged for Nakheel’s Palm Deira project – which was shelved during Dubai’s property crash.

It was first announced during the Cityscape exhibition in October last year.

The mixed-use project, featuring a 21km beachfront, is anticipated to accommodate over 357,000 people when completed.

Nakheel, which released plots ranging from 50,000 to 670,000 square feet for hotel and resort development on the island in March, said that it has been seeing strong interest in the first phase of the project.

The company also unveiled plans to develop two resorts and four hotels on two of the islands that make up the project.

Deira Islands will include a shopping mall, 30,000 seater amphitheatre and a marina that can accommodate large yachts.

The development will be accessible from the mainland via road bridges and abras.

Nakheel, which was badly hit during Dubai’s property crash in 2009, recovered strongly last year and has been refocusing its strategy to include retail and hospitality projects.

The developer plans to have 10 hotels operational by 2020, its chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said earlier this year.