•Invests AED205 Million in New Office Building

•Premises Set for Completion in Q2 2017

Dubai-UAE: 4 July, 2015 - Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has broken ground for the construction of its 11th office building in the iconic Gate District. Gate Village Building 11 will take shape on plot GV02 adjacent to Gate Village GV01, which has a presence on the boulevard facing Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

Built at a total investment of AED205 million, Gate Building 11 is scheduled for completion by Q2 2017. Across a total built-up area of 200,000 sq ft, the premises will offer 160,000 sq ft (82%) of office space and nearly 40,000 sq ft (18%) for retail and F&B outlets.

His Excellency, Essa Kazim, Governor, Dubai International Financial Centre, said: "DIFC is proud to mark yet another milestone today as we break ground on this new premises. Our sustained growth and the back-to-back opening of office spaces that boast the most advanced facilities reaffirms our commitment to supporting our clients through growing the Centre and stepping up its contribution to the growth of the financial sector in Dubai and the wider UAE. With all our buildings at the DIFC Gate District fully occupied at present, the new development will ensure that we continue to meet the demand for best-in-class office spaces in the financial district in the next exciting phase of growth."  

Upon completion, Gate Village Building 11 will feature six floors of offices with high quality finishes and fit-outs, as well as an entire floor dedicated to state-of-the-art business centres equipped with advanced office facilities and secretarial services. Parking for 362 vehicles will be provided within three subterranean levels and two podium floors.

In addition, the new building will feature retail and F&B offerings on the podium level fronting onto a landscaped piazza connecting with the Gate Village podium and exciting outdoor  terrace areas. Accessible via a panoramic elevator a rooftop destination F&B restaurant is also provided, giving experiential views from both within and from rooftop terrace spaces. These additional F&B experiences will further add to the already established appeal of DIFC's successful array of destination restaurants.

Essa Kazim said: "We have initiated a new wave of developments at the financial hub in line with the DIFC Masterplan that was announced earlier this month as part of our 2024 strategy to triple our growth. The development of the Gate Building 11 will put us in prime position to leverage new opportunities and accelerate our future growth."

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About Dubai International Financial Centre
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, providing a world-class platform connecting the region's markets with the economies of Europe, Asia and the Americas. It also facilitates the growth in South-South trade and investment. An onshore, international financial centre, DIFC provides a stable, mature and secure base for financial institutions to develop their wholesale businesses.

The Centre offers all the elements found in the world's most successful financial industry ecosystems, including an independent regulator, an independent judicial system with a common-law framework, a global financial exchange, inspiring architecture, powerful, enabling support services and a vibrant business community. The infrastructure within the district features ultra-modern office space, retail outlets, cafes and restaurants, art galleries, residential apartments, public green areas and hotels.

Located midway between the global financial centres of New York, London in the West and Singapore, Hong Kong  in the East, DIFC (GMT +4) fills a vital time-zone gap with a workday that bridges the market and business hours of financial centres in both Asia and North America.

Currently, more than 1,225 active registered companies operate from the Centre, including 21 of the world's top 25 banks, 11 of the world's top 20 money managers, 7 of the top 10 insurance companies, and 9 of the top 10 law firms. Nearly 18,000 people work in the Centre.

DIFC continues to pursue expansion into new services and sectors within the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, an area comprising over 72 countries with an approximate population of 2.8 billion and nominal GDP of US$ 6.9 trillion.

 For further information, please visit our website: www.difc.ae, or follow us on Twitter @DIFC.

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Sonali Rekhi
APCO Worldwide
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Email: srekhi@apcoworldwide.com

© Press Release 2015