1.2kilometre dragon-shaped mart will be a trade mall for more than 3000 Chinese companies and a distribution hub for the Middle East


Monday 22 December 2003, Dubai, UAE – The foundation stone of The Dragon Mart in International City was officially laid today by Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel and Mr Wei Jianguo, Vice Minister, Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of China. The one tonne stone made of black marble was brought all the way from China and its placement signals the start of construction for the 1.2kilometre long Dragon Mart, which is a strategic co-operative by the UAE and Chinese governments.
 
“The Dragon Mart is an integral component of International City and we are confident it will be extremely successful with UAE and GCC residents and as a distribution hub for Chinese products throughout The Middle East”, said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sualyem, Chairman of Nakheel. “It will be a driving force in expanding bilateral economic and trade co-operation between the UAE and China”.
 
One of the key investors and the appointed managers for The Dragon Mart is China Machinery & Electronic Products Exhibition Centre (Chinamex). Chinamex was formed in 2000 and primarily serves for exhibiting and transacting various Chinese machinery, electronic products and other commodities in the UAE.  It is a co-operative project by the Chinese and UAE governments.
 
Mr Wei Jianguo, Vice Minister, Ministry of Commerce, China commented on the venture by saying, “The Dragon Mart is an excellent initiative between the two governments and we are particularly proud that the Chinese style and culture will be reflected in the architectural design of the building. We are now working eagerly to select the best Chinese manufacturers to be part of the mart “.
 
The mart will cover 50 hectares of land and have a total built up area of 150,000 square metres housing more than 3000 Chinese companies in both warehouses and showrooms. It will be broken down into 20 commercial areas, 13 service areas, one office area and one business centre.
 
Bin Sulayem said, “The mart will be a trade mall comprising of outlets ranging from textiles and garments to machinery, tools, electrical goods, interior and building materials, food and health products and more. It will be a one-stop-shop for all your needs under the one roof”, he continued.
 
Due to the sheer size of the structure and number of companies, specially designed thoroughfares for battery-powered cars have been cleverly incorporated into the design, thus facilitating effortless access throughout the trade mall.
 
The ornately designed dragon’s head will serve as the dramatic main entrance with access from the Dubai/Hatta road. It will be a two storey structure 18 metres in height, 220 in length and 210 metres in width.  The body of the dragon will be single story structure 980 metres in length and 110 metres in width.
 
The building has been designed by DMJM Architects, whilst Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design and Research are assisting with the Interior Design. Shadid Engineering and Consultants (SEC) are the local consultants and Al Shafaar Transport and Contracting Company (ASTCC) is the main contractor.
 
International City is the latest project by Dubai based property developers Nakheel. Located in the Al Warsan area of Dubai, the pre-designed complex will be set over an incredible 800 hectares of land. Internationally themed residential, commercial and tourist elements will blend together within the one development and hence complement Dubai’s growing reputation as a significant trade, investment, residential and tourist hub.
 
The development will be made up of six key areas, including The Central District, Dubai Gates, The Dragon Mart, The Residential District, Lakes District and The Forbidden City.
 
Construction of the entire project is already well underway with the grading of the land completed. The infrastructure construction including access roads, water, electricity, sewage and cooling is now underway. The first phase is expected to be completed and operational by mid 2004 with total completion towards the end of 2006.
 
Several Chinese and Nakheel officials and many VIP’s also attended The Dragon Mart inauguration ceremony.
 
-Ends-
 
About NakheelNakheel is the uniquely focused property development company behind a variety of new landmark property developments in Dubai. Nakheel's goal is to implement unique, iconic and genuine solutions that have been conceived after detailed planning and research.   Nakheel aims to redefine the concept of property development whether residential, tourist, commercial or retail. It has therefore placed great importance on examining the requirements of the different sectors of the community and developing its visionary projects around these findings.   Nakheel’s portfolio currently includes The Palm, The World, Jumeirah Islands, The Gardens, The Gardens Shopping Mall, Jumeirah Lake Towers and International City.
 
Issued on behalf of Nakheel and International City by Hill & Knowlton, Dubai. 
 
For further information please contact
Susan Crabb/Ammar Dababou
Telephone +9714 334 4930;
Fax +9714 334 4923 or
e-mail susan.crabb@hillandknowlton.com or
ammar.dababou@hillandknowlton.com

© Press Release 2003