Work on labour village at Saadiyat Island begins

Construction work has started on the labour accommodation for more than 20,000 workers on Saadiyat Island.

Australia's Atco Structures recently signed a contract to build the largest workforce housing project in the history of the 60-year old company.

"We have started manufacturing materials for the construction," a senior official yesterday told Emirates Business. "Work will be completed within the stipulated time. The site will house workers who will build Abu Dhabi's $27 billion (Dh99bn) Saadiyat Island tourism and cultural district development project."

The labour village will include sleeping accommodation, recreational amenities, kitchens and dining and laundry facilities.

Atco and Al Habtoor Engineering have formed a strategic partnership to open a modular manufacturing facility and sales office in Abu Dhabi. Al Habtoor Engineering is part of Al Habtoor Leighton Group.

Michael Shaw, Managing Director, Global Enterprises, Atco Group, said: "We have worked with Leighton in Indonesia on various large-scale workforce camp projects and know we make a strong partnership."

The new manufacturing facilities in the UAE positions the company for future phases to supply modular building solutions for the Saadiyat Island construction project and other opportunities in the Arab World.

The construction is expected to last up to 10 years and require between 50,000 and 80,000 workers.

Saadiyat Island, located to the northeast of Abu Dhabi city, is spread over 27 sqkm and will be home to the capital's branches of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums.

The project will have a range of civic, cultural, leisure and tourism amenities and will be built around seven districts comprising 29 hotels, three marinas, mooring for 1,000 yachts, two golf courses, arts and culture hub, and 19 km of beachfront.

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