Maabar to award projects based on competitive bids

Abu Dhabi-based Al Maabar has said all its construction contracts will be awarded based on competitive tenders and that its projects in Morocco, Libya and Egypt are well on track.

A senior official said the company is on the lookout for the world's best designers and contractors for its projects in Morocco, Libya and Egypt. The company has also purchased land in Qatar and is in talks with local officials about its development.

Speaking to Emirates Business recently, Yousef Al Nowais, Managing Director of Al Maabar, said finances for its developments in Morocco and Libya are already secure and the projects are all ready to take off.

All of Al Maabar's projects are mixed-use developments and master-planned communities, with developments currently under way in the GCC, Levant and North Africa and several more under consideration or at advanced planning stages.

"Currently on our priority list are projects in Morocco. Libya and Jordan. These are projects that are vital and we are proceeding with all these projects," said Al Nowais.

"As far as Qatar is concerned, we have just purchased the land and the project is still under negotiation."

Al Maabar acquired seven plots of land in The Pearl Qatar, in the La Plage South precinct at the southern tip of the island.

According to him, the current crisis has provided an excellent opportunity for those who want to build.

"Construction costs have come down following a drop in prices of materials such as steel and aluminium. There is no better time than this to start building," he said.

Moreover, there is no dearth of contractors.

"The company is constantly looking at contractors, consultants and designers. We are assessing both international companies and experts as well as local firms with expertise. Our focus is on getting the best in the market," he said.

Al Nowais said most of the tenders will be based on competitive bidding. "Most of our projects are still in the design stage. Finance for projects in Morocco and Libya is already secured and the projects are going ahead as scheduled," he added.

Al Maabar was formed by Abu Dhabi-based developers as a vehicle for ventures beyond the UAE. It is a partnership between Abu Dhabi's six leading real estate and investment powerhouses – Mubadala Development Company, Aldar Properties, Sorouh Real Estate, Al Qudra Holdings, Reem Investments and Reem International.

In Morocco, Al Maabar has signed a joint venture agreement with L'Agence pour le Développement de Bouregreg to construct one of the largest mixed-use developments – Bab Al Bahr. It is located near the ancient cities of Rabat and Sala. The development is divided into seven distinct quarters encompassing retail, hospitality, high-end residential and commercial units. The site has a built up area of 550,000 square metres. The master plan is based on the old streets and walkways of Rabat.

"Work on Bab Al Bahr is progressing as planned, Almost 10 per cent of the work is about to start. Phase one will be followed by other phases," he said.

The UK-based Foster and Partners is architectural consultant and Hill International is the project manager.

Earlier this month, Al Maabar launched the second phase of the project as a joint venture with Morocco's Bouregrag River Development Agency.

Speaking on the occasion, Al Nowais said: "Al Maabar's project calendar is congested this year with major infrastructure developments. It is a proof to the company's long-term commitment in Morocco. We are working closely with our partners to deliver the project as per schedule," he added.

The mixed-use project will be built on a 55,000 square metres area. It comprises residential and commercial buildings, a five-star hotel, hotel apartments, office buildings, shopping centres, a theatre, arts city, a tunnel, a bridge and full amenities and facilities will be built on an area of seven million square feet on the estuary of Bouregrag River on the Mediterranean. The seven specialised districts of Bab Al Bahr feature a mixture of Andalusia and local modern architecture of Rabat and Sala. Work began on the site at the end of 2008 and is scheduled for completion in 2012.

The project in Libya too is progressing well as scheduled, said Al Nowais.

Al Maabar has created a joint venture with the Libyan Investment and Development Company to create Al Waha – a landmark project in the southern district of the capital, Tripoli. The project will require the construction of four city blocks, with a total of 11 residential buildings, which will vary in height from nine to 16 storeys and comprising more than 300 units, a 31-storey office block and extensive parking facilities.

"Construction work on the project is progressing well," said Al Nowais.

HOK is the lead design consultant and Hill International is the project management consultant. RW Armstrong is the supervision consultant and Davis Langdon is the cost consultant.

In Jordan, Al Maabar operates through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Al Maabar Jordan, through which it is developing the Aqaba waterfront (Marsa Zayed).

The $10bn (Dh36.73bn) Marsa Zayed, a 3.2 square km development including 2km of waterfront, is the biggest real estate and tourism project in Jordan. It will also include a cruise ship terminal, and several marinas. On completion, the total built-up area will be six million square metres.

Meanwhile, Callison has been selected to do a master plan for the conceptual phase of the waterfront project in Aqaba.

"It will take about 15 years to complete," said Al Nowais. "The land is currently occupied by the Aqaba port authorities. It will take some time for them to move to another port."

The project will be implemented in several phases once the transfer of land ownership is complete. Phase one will commence by the first half of 2010 following the completion of the land survey and a series of technical studies, which are currently taking place in coordination with Aqaba's local authority, Aseza. The government's handover of the land will be carried out in three phases; the first to take within the next few months, the second by September and the third by March 2013, once the new ports are built in southern Aqaba.

"We are planning to develop the area next to the port. About 900,000 sq metres will be developed during the first phase. Groundbreaking is expected in the first half of 2010," Al Nowais said.

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