With a week to go before the start of Cityscape, the Middle East's biggest property show, developers made a flurry of announcements in the hope of drawing viewers to their stands.
For Reem Island, one of the first free zones in Abu Dhabi, it was a significant day, with Damac, based in Dubai, announcing the completion of its 368-apartment, 24-storey Marina Bay scheme, its first project in Abu Dhabi. The developer said that more than 90 per cent of the apartments were now sold having been marketed internationally and flats were selling for more than Dh2,120 (US$577) per square foot.
Just a stone's throw away at Shams on Reem Island, the Hong Kong developer Chun Wo was yesterday topped out its Reem Diamond tower in the presence of Huang Jiemin, the Chinese ambassador to the UAE. The 10-storey scheme of just 48 flats is the company's first project in the UAE.
And in Dubai, Dubai Properties Group, part of Dubai Holding, said it would be marketing two of the 13 buildings in its Bay Square development in Business Bay at the exhibition.
Meanwhile other UAE developers were busy announcing overseas ventures.
Emaar Hospitality Group, the hotel and leisure business of Dubai developer Emaar Properties, yesterday said that it had signed a contract to operate a new The Address hotel close to the Masai Mara game reserve in south-western Kenya.
Mohamed Alabbar, the chairman of Emaar Properties, said The Address Masai Mara was scheduled to open next year and work on site was progressing.
Tasweek said that it had signed a joint venture with the luxury resort Casabrina Vacation Villas in Malaysia to develop, own, operate and market nine boutique villa hotels at the foothills of Bukit Fraser in Pahang.
The Cityscape Global show opens on Tuesday in Dubai.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
COMPANY%20PROFILE
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Jigra
FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Company%20profile
COMPANY%20PROFILE
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP%204
Towering concerns
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
More on Quran memorisation:
• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister
• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
• UAE's monumental and risky Mars Mission to inspire future generations, says minister
• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
The%20specs
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
65
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now