04, January 2011: Dewan Architects & Engineers, one of the region's leading architectural and engineering consulting firms, has been awarded the design for Akwaan Properties' 'Akwaan Retail Center' project in Al Riyadh, KSA. The Centre is the first of Akwaan's Retail Lifestyle Centers series - The Marketplace - and is located in in the Qurtoba District of East Riyadh.

With a total built-up area of 8,500 square meters, the Akwaan Retail Centre is spread out on one floor with a partial mezzanine for selected retailers. On offer for shoppers will be a well-known branded anchor supermarket, a number of anchor stores, small retail shops of around 50 square meters each, restaurants and coffee shops with adequate on-street parking available for the visitors.

Speaking of the project, Mohamed Al Assam, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Dewan, said, "The Akwaan Retail Lifestyle Centre is an exciting new project for us to be working on, particularly since it is part of a series of such centres that are to be developed across the Kingdom. Working very closely with Akwaan and aligning our design objectives with their branding and financial goals, Dewan aims to deliver a high quality of design, in aesthetic value and in the use of innovative building materials and technologies, and compliance with the highest levels of current building standards, including environmental sustainability, to create a centre that is much more than a typical 'mall' - one that is a true lifestyle centre, catering to the needs and desires of the area's residents.

"The need for this type of lifestyle centre has arisen due to the current standard of the retailing landscape being challenged. Consumers are more sophisticated in their requirements and are demanding new experiences. We are confident that the Akwaan Retail Lifestyle Centre's diversity, location, retail, lifestyle and leisure offerings will meet these demands," he added.

Commenting on the scale of building taking place in Saudi Arabia at the moment - a BMI Key Projects Database report released in November has recorded over US$100bn of social and economic infrastructure projects under way and in the pipeline in Saudi Arabia - Al Assam said: "Major commercial, education, health, retail, leisure and entertainment projects are underway across the Kingdom, illustrating both current high levels of activity and future growth potential. It is indeed a fascinating time to be a part of the development landscape."

The Akwaan Retail Center is currently in the design development stage, with the schematic stage (stage 2 as per the project plan) having just been completed and the plans submitted to the municipality for preliminary approval.

With over 26 years of regional experience, Dewan Architects & Engineers is a leading multi-disciplinary architectural and engineering consultancy with offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya, Qatar, and the Philippines. Dewan was recently ranked the 52nd largest architectural firm globally, and the 3rd largest in the region, by Building Design Magazine and Middle East Architect magazine respectively.

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© Press Release 2011