Published: 12 December 2008 12:48 GMT Author: Colin Foreman More by this Author Last Updated: 12 December 2008 12:48
Three groups submit proposals for 10-year project to build AED30bn landmark skyscraper in Dubai.
Local developer Nakheel has received proposals from three groups for the contract to build the tower at the AED140bn ($38bn) Nakheel Harbour and Tower development in Dubai.
The bidders are a joint venture of the local/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton, South Africa's Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East) and Japan's Takenaka Corporation; the UK's Laing O'Rourke in joint venture with Japan's Taisei Corporation; and South Korea's Samsung Corporation (MEED 18:11:08).
Samsung is also part of a joint venture that is building the Burj Dubai, along with the local/Belgian Bel Hasa Six Construct and the local Arabtec Construction.
The AED30bn Nakheel tower will be developed over 10 years. The client plans to shortlist two groups by the end of the year and select one to provide pre-construction services by early 2009. The pre-construction period is expected to last at least one year. Enabling works on the development, which are scheduled to be completed in October 2010, are being executed by France's Soletanche Bachy. Work on the tower's superstructure is expected to follow shortly after.
In June, sources close to the project said the tower had been designed to be 1.4 kilometres tall. However, Nakheel has only confirmed that it will be more than 1km high. Even so, once finished, it will be taller than the Burj Dubai, which is expected to be about 820 metres high when completed in 2009.
The Nakheel tower was originally called the Pinnacle and was to be located on the Palm Jumeirah, before becoming part of the Dubai Waterfront scheme, when it was renamed Al-Burj. It is now known as the Tall Tower.
The consultancy team for the tower includes UK-based WSP, US-based Leslie E Robertson Associates and Australia's Woods Bagot.
The development will be built alongside the proposed Arabian Canal next to Ibn Battuta Mall and Jumeirah islands.
It will cover an area of 2.7 square kilometres and will be home to more than 55,000 people. The development will also include 250,000 sq m of hotel and hospitality space, and 100,000 sq m of retail space.
The scheme was launched in October 2008 but, given the global economic climate, doubts soon surfaced over whether it would move ahead. Nakheel has already begun to delay work on some of its other projects, such as Palm Deira and Dubai Waterfront, Gateway Towers and Trump International Hotel and Tower.
However, the developer's decision to move ahead with the Tall Tower is the latest sign that some major schemes will proceed.
The Al-Habtoor/Murray & Roberts/Takaneka joint venture was recently awarded the AED4.9bn ($1.3bn) contract to build Concourse 3 at Dubai International airport (MEED 8:12:08).
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Construction giants vie for Nakheel Tower deal
TOWER DEAL: Three major construction players are vying for pre-construction contract for Nakheel's 1km-plus tower. (Supplied)
Al-Habtoor Leighton, Murray & Roberts and Al Naboodah Laing O’Rourke are among the contractors which have bid for the pre-construction phase of work on the 1 kilometre-plus tower planned by Nakheel.
The three construction firms confirmed to Arabian Business on Wednesday they placed bids before last week’s deadline for the contract which involves preliminary non-construction work on the mega-project including programme costing.
The master developer is expected to compile a shortlist of contractors by the end of the year before selecting one company by early 2009 to provide pre-construction services for the structure, which is planned to be the tallest tower in the world.
The pre-construction period is expected to last for around a year, with the tower developed over 10 years.
Nakheel chief executive Chris O’Donnell said last month funding for the $38.12 billion project, unveiled in October, would be secured by the sale of land around the tower to other developers.
The tower is part of the Nakheel Harbour & Tower development in Dubai, which will cover an area of 2.7km and be built alongside the proposed Arabian Canal.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Nakheel Harbour & Tower Photos December 6th 2008
lots of activities at the Nakheel Harbour & Tower site but it's difficult to see anything from the outside...
Thursday, November 27, 2008
World's tallest tower plan 'will not be delayed
Nakheel’s plans to build the tallest tower in the world will not be stalled by a slowdown in the property market in Dubai, but the master developer has put on hold taking on new projects for the time being, chief executive Chris O’Donnell said.
With foundation work on the 1.4km-high skyscraper underway, the property market would be “moving positively” again by the time the foundations were complete within two to three years, O’Donnell told Arabian Business.
He said funding for the $38.12 billion project, unveiled last month, would be secured by the sale of land around the tower to other developers.
“We indicated when we launched that we would do the foundation work and that is underway and will take two or three years. My view is that within two or three years you will find the Dubai market well and truly moving positively.
"So we think that’s the right thing to do,” he said on Wednesday evening ahead of Nakheel taking delivery of the QE2, which it plans to transform into a hotel and tourist attraction off the eastern trunk side of Palm Jumeirah.
In response to a question of whether Nakheel was considering cutting jobs, O’Donnell said the Dubai-based firm was assessing the impact of the global financial crisis on its operations to “match resources to meet its workload.”
“We are reviewing the situation,” he said. “The world economic crisis is having an affect on Dubai and we are assessing what the impact is and what we are looking to do in the future is to match supply with demand. We will match our resources to meet the workload.”
Emaar Properties, another Dubai master developer, said on Monday it may consider making staff redundant due to the downturn in the local real estate market, while Omniyat Properties could cut up to 100 jobs and Dubai developer Damac has said that it planned to lay off 200 employees.
O’Donnell said following launches in the last year and a half of the Universe, Mina Rashid and Nakheel Tower, it was not taking on any new projects for the time being.
“We are delivering over 50 percent of everything that will be delivered in Dubai over the next ten years. We are managing sub-projects within our projects, so smaller projects within Palm Deira and Palm Jumeirah and the Waterfront,” he said.
He said $80 billion was the last figure Nakheel had given for the value of its projects including international assets and as this was a conservative estimate the amount was still correct despite the global financial crisis.
O’Donnell firmly denied there were any plans for a merger between Nakheel and Emaar.
“The government has come out and confirmed that is not the case, so there’s definitely no Nakheel and Emaar merger that’s being considered,” he said.
It follows a comment on Monday by Emaar chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar saying he would welcome a merger with Nakheel if the opportunity arose.
Nakheel, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, is building three palm-shaped islands off the Dubai coast, as well as an archipelago in the shape of the world.
The financial crisis has hit demand for real estate in Dubai from foreign investors, which make up a large percentage of buyers, while tightening liquidity has made home financing more difficult.
With foundation work on the 1.4km-high skyscraper underway, the property market would be “moving positively” again by the time the foundations were complete within two to three years, O’Donnell told Arabian Business.
He said funding for the $38.12 billion project, unveiled last month, would be secured by the sale of land around the tower to other developers.
“We indicated when we launched that we would do the foundation work and that is underway and will take two or three years. My view is that within two or three years you will find the Dubai market well and truly moving positively.
"So we think that’s the right thing to do,” he said on Wednesday evening ahead of Nakheel taking delivery of the QE2, which it plans to transform into a hotel and tourist attraction off the eastern trunk side of Palm Jumeirah.
In response to a question of whether Nakheel was considering cutting jobs, O’Donnell said the Dubai-based firm was assessing the impact of the global financial crisis on its operations to “match resources to meet its workload.”
“We are reviewing the situation,” he said. “The world economic crisis is having an affect on Dubai and we are assessing what the impact is and what we are looking to do in the future is to match supply with demand. We will match our resources to meet the workload.”
Emaar Properties, another Dubai master developer, said on Monday it may consider making staff redundant due to the downturn in the local real estate market, while Omniyat Properties could cut up to 100 jobs and Dubai developer Damac has said that it planned to lay off 200 employees.
O’Donnell said following launches in the last year and a half of the Universe, Mina Rashid and Nakheel Tower, it was not taking on any new projects for the time being.
“We are delivering over 50 percent of everything that will be delivered in Dubai over the next ten years. We are managing sub-projects within our projects, so smaller projects within Palm Deira and Palm Jumeirah and the Waterfront,” he said.
He said $80 billion was the last figure Nakheel had given for the value of its projects including international assets and as this was a conservative estimate the amount was still correct despite the global financial crisis.
O’Donnell firmly denied there were any plans for a merger between Nakheel and Emaar.
“The government has come out and confirmed that is not the case, so there’s definitely no Nakheel and Emaar merger that’s being considered,” he said.
It follows a comment on Monday by Emaar chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar saying he would welcome a merger with Nakheel if the opportunity arose.
Nakheel, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, is building three palm-shaped islands off the Dubai coast, as well as an archipelago in the shape of the world.
The financial crisis has hit demand for real estate in Dubai from foreign investors, which make up a large percentage of buyers, while tightening liquidity has made home financing more difficult.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Behind the scenes: Nakheel's tallest tower plan
Developer Nakheel is to trump rival Emaar Properties in the contest to build the world's tallest building, with the Dubai-owned developer unveiling plans for a tower that will dwarf the Burj Dubai.
Nakheel is poised to build Nakheel Harbour and Tower that will be more than one kilometre high, as part of a $38.12 billion project that will include the world’s first inner city harbour.
This video gives you the behind the scenes story of the project with interviews with CEO Chris O'Donnell, a look at the company's launch night for the ambitious development which was held at the Atlantis resort in Dubai and attended by Hollywood couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jone plus there's a 3D view of how the tower will look when complete.
The project will take more than 10 years to complete, but with some stages coming on line much earlier.
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