Sowwah Island

Launched at Cityscape Abu Dhabi were the plans for the new central business district on Sowwah island.

Sowwah square district, situated between Reem Island and Abu Dhabi island, is an area of 570,000 square metres. It will house the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and will provide a centre for new business and financial ventures in the emirate and an important commercial district for the UAE.

This project is being funded by Mubadala, the investment and development fund controlled by the Abu Dhabi government, and involves the major US property company, John Buck. The new joint venture company, John Buck International will undertake all development, leasing and management responsibilities on completion.

The Sowwah Square area will incorporate 4 towers, a 5-star hotel, conference facilities and shopping outlets. The developers are hoping for a "triple A-list" of tenants for the island and aim to incorporate environmentally friendly building materials, recycling facilities, energy saving technologies and renewable energy sources in a bid to attract the best companies.

In time, Sowwah island will be integrated with other projects with 13 bridges planned to connect Reem, Sowwah and Abu Dhabi islands in addition to public transport facilities, pedestrian lanes, and a light rail system. The development is expected to be ready in 2010 and will take up 10% of Abu Dhabi's central business district.

Affordable Housing Scheme Announced

A new affordable housing scheme has been announced by the government in an attempt to offset the rising living costs for low and middle-income earners in Abu Dhabi.

Just over 93,000 square metres of land in Khalifa City B has been donated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to real estate developer Al Rayan, to build an affordable housing community which will reduce financial pressure on a huge percentage of the workforce.

A recent survey conducted by the Department of Planning and Economy showed that low and middle-income workers are currently spending on average about half of their income on housing. A separate study conducted by Al Rayan found that 350,000 people in this income bracket needed more affordable housing.

The aim of the project is to build a community which will not be sold on - thus not allowing a secondary market mark-up - and where rents can be controlled by the government. Those eligible for this housing would include workers whose salaries fall within the Dh4,000 to Dh10,000 a month range. Rent paid will depend on the salary of the tenant, with those who earn more paying more. While the rents are expected to be considerably lower than current prices, adjustments will be made over time to match operating costs.

Currently, the final stages are being decided with the Urban Planning Council and a concept plan is in the development phase. This will include provision for all services that accompany the housing in a bid to create a community village which will be suitable for families.

Fardan Al Fardan, the chairman of the board of Al Rayan said that while "the market has changed dramatically over the last few years and no one could have predicted this kind of escalation", the affordable housing scheme would make a huge difference to the housing shortage in Abu Dhabi. Work is expected to begin towards the end of the current year.

New Public Beach

The new public beach in Abu Dhabi is to be ready on July 1st this year according to a report in the Gulf News this morning. Located on the corniche, the announcement was made yesterday as part of the Abu Dhabi Municipality strategic plan.

The beach is to be manned by qualified lifeguards who will be housed in 7 towers stretched across the 2 km beach. In addition, there will be a floating fence installed to ensure the safety of swimmers. Although the facility will be open 24/7, the lifeguards will only be on duty during the day time and swimming will be prohibited at night.

In addition to the beach, there will be a spacious park, playgrounds for children, a beach volleyball court, shaded areas, an exercise path and cafe facilities. Entry will be free and it is estimated that it will accommodate about 5,000 people. The project comes at a price of Dh105 million.