JEDDAH, 22 February 2007 -- The construction of Lamar Towers -- the first skyscraper in the Kingdom's western region -- will commence during the summer of 2007 at a cost of SR2 billion.
The Towers will be the first housing and commercial project of its size to be established in Jeddah. To be located at the seaside in the Northern Cornish area, the target date for completion is by end of 2010. Cayan Investment Co. and Zahran Real Estate Investment Co. are handling the project, which includes two housing towers, a commercial tower, a health club and indoor entertainment halls.
At a press conference held at the Hilton Hotel on Tuesday evening, Badr Al-Zahrani, president of Zahran Real Estate Investment Co., said that the location is ideal for such a project, because it would allow a great view of the Red Sea.
He said that they have chosen the name Lamar, which means melted gold in the Arabic language, because the reflection of the sun on the building would give a similar visual effect. He added that the housing towers will consist of 58 and 65 stories and will include various sizes of housing apartments. The commercial tower, which is situated between the housing towers, will be13 stories high.
Ahmad Al-Hati, president of Cayan Investment Co., said that the commercial tower would include a three-floor shopping mall while the other 10 floors would be dedicated for business offices. The intended health club project would be one of the biggest in the Middle East and would provide the latest and finest physiotherapy treatment. The construction of the project is awarded to the British-based RMJM Architectural Design Company, while management of construction is assigned to the American-based Turner Co.
Architectural consultancy was handed to the Saudi-based Al-Diyar Al-Saudia Architectural Consultancy Co.
By Hasan Hatrash
© Arab News 2007
