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1,580 villas to be built for Emirati families in Al Ain

By Nissar Hoath ABU DHABI - The Oasis City of Al Ain will add another township with an investment of Dh3.6 billion with the construction of 1,580 villas for Emirati families.

The township called Shahbat Al Wathah,, north of Jebel Hafit and Mubbazara, one of the most visited recreational and tourism destinations within Al Ain, is being developed to meet housing shortage in the city, according to a senior engineer from the Municipality of Al Ain City.

"This project is a residential development for the UAE nationals in Al Ain city. We will be building 1,580 villas with all basic amenities and recreational facilities. These villas are being built for the Emirati families by the government under the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan," Engineer Fatima Al Ka'abi of Town Planning Section at the Municipality told Khaleej Times at Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2011.

The municipal department has for the first time unveiled the project that is being developed with an investment of Dh3.6 billion at exhibition.

The young Emirati engineer said: "The total investment in the project is around Dh3.6 billion. The project developer is Aldar having sub-contractors for different area constructions."

She said the project was being carried out by the local government and the Municipality of Al Ain City in partnership with the private sector.Fatima explained: "We have designs and approved nine architectural models of the villas with different looks and styles -- we have local traditional, GCC and Arabic and modern styles. Last month we invited all the future-owners of these villas, who have submitted the housing applications, to see and give their choices for the model. These are high standard and high-quality villas complying with the Estidama, or Abu Dhabi's green building code.

"These are also designed in a way that perfectly suits the requirements of Emirati families. Each villa has seven-bedroom with traditional Majlis or sitting halls and other facilities -- we have taken into consideration all the aspects a traditional Emirati family prefers to have."

The community itself, she added, will have five neighbourhoods, and each having all the public services and facilities, like parks, schools, health centres, mosques and commercial outlets and facilities. Two huge plots have been set aside for public schools as well.

About the construction timeline, Fatima said: "The construction work on the infrastructure will begin by next month and the construction of villas will start once we get the final approval from the Executive Council hopefully next month.

However, the work on the entire project is expected to begin by mid of this year and will be completed by 2013 for the owners to move in.

"By end of 2013, all the villas will be completed, including both interior and exterior finishing, and we will have a new township with thousands of people living in it with all the infrastructures, amenities and facilities. The villas will be fully finished and handed over to Emirati families to move in."

About the number applications from Emirati families for new houses, she said till Tuesday, around 920 families have applied for these villas, and the number was increasing.

"The new and planned development is located north of Jebel Hafit and Mubbazara in the Oasis City of the UAE," Fatima said.

© Khaleej Times 2011