Nakheel awards Dhs550m contract for Deira Islands coastal work

Dubai-based developer Nakheel has awarded a deal worth Dhs 550m to marine engineering contractor Van Oord to complete coastal works on its Deira Islands project.

Under the contract, Van Oord will construct 23.5km of coastline and breakwaters at Deira Islands, a new 15.3 sq km waterfront development.

The first part of the deal, valued at Dhs 387m, is already signed and will include the construction of beaches, quay walls, rock edges and breakwaters at the mega development.

The two-year contract includes 8.5km of beaches, 3.5km of quay walls and 9.5km of rock revetments at two of the four islands, as well as 2km of breakwaters to protect the newly created basin and beachfront.

Van Oord will also construct a 4km-long stretch of waterfront, big enough to accommodate more than 500 yachts and boats, at the 4.5 million square metre south island, Nakheel said.

Nakheel previously appointed Van Oord for dredging and coastal work on its other waterfront projects including the Palm Jumeirah and The World Islands. These added 300km to Dubai’s coastline, with Deira islands producing an additional 40km, and 21km of beachfront.

Nakheel’s Deira Islands project, first announced at Cityscape Global 2013, uses four of the islands originally dredged for the company’s Palm Deira project – which was shelved during Dubai’s property crash.

The project is expected to accommodate over 357,000 people when completed and will have a mall, mixed-use apartments, hotels, resorts and waterside homes.

Deira Islands marks Nakheel’s new policy to focus more on leisure and hospitality projects instead of just residential developments.

The developer, which was bailed out by the Dubai government after the 2009 crisis, has made clear that it will be focusing on segments that will provide a recurrent income.

Nakheel is investing nearly Dhs12 billion in new retail and leasing projects and aims to total over 2,900 hotel keys over the next three years.