| A product of the combined vision of His Highness General
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of
the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al
Maktoum, President, Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and
Chairman of the Emirates Group, Dubai World Central is one of the most
strategically important infrastructure developments yet launched by the
vibrant emirate. It is designed to support Dubai’s aviation, tourism,
commercial and logistics requirements until 2050 and infrastructure costs
alone will run to US$33 billion.
“We have to make history and approach the future with steady steps, not
wait for the future to come to us,” commented His Highness Sheikh Mohammed.
At the heart of Dubai World Central is Dubai World Central International
Airport (JXB) – which will be the world’s largest passenger and cargo hub
with a design capacity of over 12 million tons of cargo a year and in excess
of 120 million passengers annually and capable of handling all new
generation aircraft, including the Airbus A380.
“With Dubai World Central we are taking the future into our own hands,”
said HH Sheikh Ahmed. “Dubai World Central will be a global brand known for
its superb facilities and infrastructure and for the boost it will give to
local and regional economies and downstream to billions of consumers.
“It is geography that makes this vision possible with huge land
availability in a prime location. The long term benefits of Dubai World
Central to the UAE, GCC and the wider region are phenomenal and will place
this emirate firmly in ‘pole position’ for regional logistics, tourism and
commerce.
“Dubai World Central will not only cater to economic growth but will be a
strong catalyst for our next wave of development as a truly global
commercial, trade and logistics hub.”
Dubai World Central also creates one of the world’s first truly
integrated multi-modal logistics platforms with all transportation modes,
logistics and value-added services, such as product manufacturing and
assembly in a single-bonded free zone environment made up of Dubai Logistics
City, Dubai World Central International Airport and Jebel Ali Port.
Other Dubai World Central components include: Residential City, which
will offer a combination of freehold and leased quality homes, the marketing
of which will begin immediately after the Arabian Travel Market; Commercial
City, which will feature hundreds of office tower blocks, a golf course
resort, Enterprise Park.
The entire Dubai World Central complex will be served throughout by the
latest technology solutions for security, transport and customer service. An
internal light rail network will link the whole of Dubai World Central which
will also be served by the
Dubai Light Rail Network (Dubai Metro).
“This will be a ‘smart city’ – a beacon of future living and working
environments. With our smart city approach we are demonstrating our
commitment to delivering a leading-edge proposition which will further push
the urban aviation development boundaries,” added Sheikh Ahmed.
This new facility will be 10 times the size of the current Dubai
International Airport and Dubai Cargo Village combined. Its passenger
capacity of over 120 million passengers a year can be judged in context
alongside the world’s busiest airport Atlanta which in 2004, for which the
latest figures are available, handled 83.5 million passengers.
The airport will have six parallel runways all of 4.5 kilometres in
length and separated by a minimum of 800 metres and a 92 metre high control
tower – the highest in the Middle East – the ’flower concept’ icon design of
which will create an aviation landmark for the region. The control tower
will be fully equipped with the latest in avionics and navigational aids.
Control tower construction will begin in October this year.
There will be two terminals - the first dedicated to the services of
airlines within the Emirates Group, the second catering to other regional
and international carriers. A third, highly functional terminal is earmarked
for low cost charter airlines. Dedicated facilities are earmarked for
executive jet operators.
The airport will also boast hotels and shopping malls, support facilities
and state-of-the-art maintenance facilities which will create a regional
maintenance hub capable of A, B and C checks on all aircraft, including the
A380.
JXB will be linked to the existing, Dubai International Airport (DXB) via
an express rail system and ultimately will be serviced by the Dubai Light
Railway Network (Dubai Metro). Some 100,000 car parking spaces will be
available for airport parking and car rental services.
Dubai Logistics City
Spanning 25 square kilometers, Dubai Logistics City is designed to
ultimately handle 12 million tons of air cargo annually in up to 16 air
cargo terminals.
Work on the project, which is due to be operational at the end of next
year, is already underway. Work is progressing on the first 4.5 kilometer,
CAT III, all-weather runway which allows for automatic landing.
Dubai Logistics City will also have its own aviation area, a dedicated
cluster for specialized aviation industry suppliers and offering direct
apron access and a dedicated labor village accommodating up to 40,000
workers in purpose-built surroundings. The labor village, in a built-up
area of 350,000 square meters, will be built and managed by Dubai Logistics
City. Dubai Logistics City will also have state-of-the-art office buildings,
land plots for dedicated industrial business, trading companies,
distributors, logistics service providers and forwarders, shared facilities,
such as warehouses and modern air-side cargo handling facilities.
e-customs for all shipments will be introduced within the year.
Residential City
To be developed in three phases and covering some 7.16 million square
meters, freehold land plots in Residential City are to be offered to
developers on the open market who will then build in accordance with
master plan guidelines. Up to 250,000 people are expected to live in the
‘city’ where some 20,000 people will be employed. The Dubai Metro will serve
Residential City which will also have a dedicated, integrated road network.
The city will include three hotels – five-star, four-star and three-star
properties – and a shopping mall.
Homes will be a mix of two-storey villas and luxury apartments in blocks
ranging up to 24 stories in height. One area of the master plan has been
earmarked for labor accommodation which will be operated by Dubai World
Central to safeguard standards.
Marketing of land plots will begin immediately after the Arabian Travel
Market.
Residential City will have a full range of civic amenities including
schools.
Development will begin at the end of this year.
Commercial City
To be developed in five phases, this ‘city’ will cover some 14.53 million
square meters. Designed as Dubai World Central’s business and finance hub,
Commercial City will feature more than 850 towers, ranging from 6-75 stories
in height – which will be home to a variety of businesses expected to employ
around 130,000 people and offer super deluxe homes. A cluster of luxury
villas are also included in the master plan.
The taller blocks, which will be at the perimeter of the ‘city’ will have
views of Nakheel’s Arabian Canal project. The ‘city’ will also boast up to
25 hotels ranging from deluxe, through to five-star, four-star and
three-star. Land plots are to be sold to leading developers who will build
in accordance with the approved Dubai World Central master plan and design
requirements.
Golf Resort
To be offered on the open market to a private developer, Dubai World
Central will feature two 18-hole golf courses each having a distinct feel
from a traditional desert links style to a more lush tropical resort course.
In addition to the courses there will be extensive practice facilities,
driving ranges and putting greens as well as a luxury clubhouse with
restaurants and a pro-shop.
Up to 2,500 freehold homes – ranging from two storey villas to 24-storey
apartment blocks – will surround the courses – and will be around six
kilometers away from the airport and back on to Nakheel’s Arabian Canal
project.
The golf resort will also feature a high-end boutique hotel complete with
a spa resort and around 150 rooms. Development will begin at the end of 2008
and will take two years to complete. |
