DUBAI - Emaar Properties yesterday announced it has awarded an estimated Dh108 million contract to India-based engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro Limited to construct the Hyderabad Convention Centre, venue for the Asian Development Bank's biennial meeting to be held in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in May 2006.
The 4,000-seating capacity Convention Centre will be India's largest and easily the most technologically advanced convention facility. It is an integrated 291,000sq.ft facility abutting with a 300-room business hotel on 15 acres of land. The air-conditioned Centre can be configured to increase seating capacity to about 6,500 and is equipped with several automated features to facilitate diverse utilisation, with all facilities and amenities that a world standard gathering would conceivably seek.
Emaar has engaged the Scottish firm RMJM as architects for the Convention Centre scheduled for completion in December 2005.
"Our decision in favour of Larsen & Toubro Limited for the Convention Centre was reached on the basis of price, proven abilities and experience in the execution of several complex and demanding real-estate development projects across India," said Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties. "Emaar stringently applies international best practices on all its real estate developments and we are delighted that Larsen & Toubro have matched our expectations.
"When this Centre is considered in the context of expanded facilities for air and surface transportation, commercial, residential and hospitality, Hyderabad will truly develop to become the geographical and event-related hub for India," Alabbar continued.
Alabbar was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit, currently being held in New Delhi. A senior Emaar delegation had met with Tadao Chino, President of Asian Development Bank in Hyderabad recently and explained to him and his accompanying delegation how the Centre will develop.
Also being developed by Emaar is Boulder Hills, a world class leisure and residential community in Hyderabad. The total cost for both these prestigious projects is estimated at Dh492 million. These projects are being developed in partnership with Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC) an agency of the government of Andhra Pradesh. "We are pleased with the cooperation and true sense of partnership from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, and this experience points to further and more expanded relationships in the state and elsewhere in the sub-continent. India is an important partner country for Emaar Properties and we are excited to be conducting serious business in a market that is going to develop into several multiples of what we see today," he added. Larsen & Toubro Limited is India's largest engineering and construction conglomerate with additional interests in electricals, electronics, submarine pressure vessels, space vehicles, and IT. The company has a global spread of over 30 offices and has constructed many of India's prized landmarks.
BY A STAFF REPORTER
© Khaleej Times 2004
