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(Project name was incorrectly mentioned as Dubai Enichment Project in the headline and the paragraph 1. The same has been corrected to Deira Enrichment Project)
Dubai’s historic commercial hub of Deira will have eight new hotels as part of the first phase of Deira Enrichment Project (DEP), the CEO of master developer Ithra Dubai, said.
The mixed-use project will expand Deira towards the waterfront and provide better infrastructure and facilities for existing and new businesses and residents while maintaining the area’s legacy, according to the project’s fact sheet.
Issam Galadari, CEO of Ithra Dubai, told Zawya that DEP would have eight hotels ranging from 2-star to 5-star as part of its first phase.
“Phase one includes a total of eight hotels out of which six properties, totalling more than 1,000 keys, are currently under construction and two are under design,” he said on the sidelines of a press event in Dubai on Sunday.
Galadari said US-based Wyndham Hotels would operate four properties – including a 2-star Super 8, a 3-star Days Inn and a 4-star Wyndham - while France-based AccorHotels will operate three properties – 3-star Mercure and Ibis Style hotels and Adagio-branded serviced apartments.
He said the first phase of DEP consists of a total of 13 plots or districts with 12 districts under different stages of construction, while District 6 is temporarily serving as the master development’s logistics and storage site.
Galadari said that it has sought to capitalise on the site’s connectivity offered by two existing underground metro stations that have entry and exit points in areas that now form part of the first phase.
He said: “We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have two metro stations - Al Ras and Palm Deira – within the master development. District 4, which is located above the Palm Deira station, would include an office block, a 3-star Days Inn hotel, and retail outlets.”
District 4 would serve as a “transportation hub” for the locality and include waiting areas for RTA buses, he explained.
The development plans for the area above the Al Ras metro station are still in the design stage, he added.
During an earlier press briefing, Galadari had said that the Phase one master plan also includes a 5-star hotel and low-rise residential buildings on the waterfront running from the Al Ras Public Library to the under-construction Infinity Bridge. These areas, he noted, would be connected to water taxis, buses and the Al Ras metro station.
In a separate press statement on Sunday, Ithra Dubai said the 12 districts under construction in Phase one would include more than 47 buildings incorporating 2,200 residential units, 416 commercial units, 843 retail units, and multi-level car parks.
“Phase one is spread over a total land area of 61 hectares and would have a population of 12,000 people,” said Galadari. He said the total value of Phase one construction activity currently underway was “around 4 billion UAE dirhams” ($1.07 billion).
Galadari said the first phase of the development consists of mainly low-rise buildings of five-to-six storeys that go up to maximum of 18 storeys near the Hyatt Regency hotel towers.
“We want to keep the existing fabric, not create skyscrapers. We have also tried to create a pedestrian-friendly environment for residents, visitors, and tourists alike,” he said.
As part of its mandate to enhance the existing infrastructure of Deira, the DEP project will also include a total of four multi-storey car parks that will provide additional 2,500 spaces - over and above two-to-three level basement parking provided across the development.
“We plan to provide recreational facilities, and also food outlets on the rooftops of these car parks,” the Ithra official said.
Delivery timelines
Galadari said that delivery of units in the first phase will start by the end of the year. He said District 3, currently at 85 percent completion, would be the first to be handed over, followed by District 11, which is now at 70 percent completion and District 13 (the Gold Souk extension), which is at 65 percent.
The developer’s press statement had noted that District 3 comprises of 350 apartments, 45 retail units, 40 offices, and the 290-key Wyndham hotel. District 11 includes 21 offices, 25 retail units, and the 94-key Super 8 hotel, while District 13 includes 289 residential units, 229 office units, and 176 retail units.
District 2, which includes the 189-key Adagio Hotel Apartments, 18 retail units, and a mosque, is currently 75 percent complete while District 1, which consists of 338 apartments, 27 offices, and 45 retail units, is 65 percent complete, according to a project fact sheet supplied by the developer.
Galadari didn’t outline a specific timeline for the start of construction of future phases but said the master plan has reached “the completion phase” and phase two expected to have “almost similar area as Phase one.”
US-based architecture firm AE7, which master planned the first phase, is also in charge of the second phase, he confirmed.
Galadari said the developer has dedicated two plots in Phase 2 for schools.
“We may accelerate the schools in Phase 2 before anything else as it would benefit DEP and the Deira area,” he said. He added that the ‘Deira Waterfront Market,’ which is already operational, would form part of the second phase.
Ithra Dubai is wholly owned by sovereign wealth fund Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD). In addition to DEP, the company is developing One Za’abeel, which is due to be completed by the third quarter of 2021 and will host the world’s longest cantilever connecting its two towers.
(Reporting by Anoop Menon; Editing by Michael Fahy)
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