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In
its breathtaking locale, in its sheer monumental scale
and in the sophisticated lifestyle it promises, the
upcoming Jumeirah Beach Residence ranks high above all
the other property development projects currently on in
the UAE. It is also the last of the beachfront
properties available in Dubai today.
Overlooking the brilliant blue of the Arabian Sea, this
unique beach resort is located at the heart of new
Dubai, which gives it a very interesting neighbourhood –
one that includes luxury hotels, the Emirates Golf Club,
Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and the American
University of Dubai. What makes it more appealing is
that your home here would be right on the beach, which
means that you and your family can indulge in the
pleasures of a beach resort lifestyle throughout the
year.
The Jumeirah Beach Residence is an impressive 22 million
square feet development that stretches across a length
of 1.7 kilometres. It features 36 residential towers,
four hotel towers and beach clubs. Its design reflects
the architectural theme of future Dubai through a fusion
of Mediterranean and local architectural elements, while
retaining a unique style and aesthetic expression of its
own.
Set in an environment of comfort and luxury, the
Jumeirah Beach Residence is a complete self-contained
urban community in every sense. Every amenity one
requires – be it supermarkets, restaurants, medical
facilities, sports complexes, health clubs or even play
areas for children – are all within a comfortable
distance range.
With such impressive features and destined to be the
opportunity of a lifetime for a privileged few, it is
not surprising that the construction of this spectacular
development has been entrusted only to those engineering
firms renowned for their ability to orchestrate and
execute large-scale projects to perfection. Chief among
them is Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises Co.,
entrusted with the task of the construction of JB4 - the
biggest sector of this monumental project and which
comprises the creation of eight residential towers and
one hotel.
Setting up signature projects is nothing new for Al
Habtoor Engineering, one of the leading construction and
engineering companies in the Middle East. Standing
testimony to its construction prowess and setting
milestones in its engineering history are marvels such
as the iconic sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, the world’s
tallest hotel, soaring 321 m into the sky from an
artificial island in the sea; the stunning glass-fronted
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, distinctively designed like a
wave; the Dusit Dubai, with its unique inverted Y
architecture symbolizing the traditional Thai welcome of
folded hands and; Dubai’s first Shangri-La to mention a
few.
According to Ziad Amous, Project Director of the JBR4
project, “The initial phase of the project consisted of
two separate contracts for the piling work that included
installation of bored, cast in situ reinforced concrete
piles for the tower blocks and podium levels. This
project cost was estimated at AED 62 million dirhams.”
The current project, valued at AED 1 billion, calls for
the construction of eight towers and a podium with a
total built-up area of about 450,000 square metres, he
says. “Three towers here are 52 storeys high, four
towers are 42 storeys high and one tower is 26 storeys
high,” he adds. “Our scope of work encompasses the
complete construction of all these as a turnkey
project.”
The JBR site has been divided into five different
sectors for ease of construction purposes, he says.
“Each sector is managed by a different construction team
led by a project manager with a construction manager,
project engineers, site engineers, foremen and
labourers. However, all sectors work in unison as they
share the same materials and are working towards the
same end result.”
The challenge here, therefore, is to ensure that the
work progresses simultaneously and that no sector is
lagging behind. It also calls to the fore excellent
management skills to streamline such a vast operation
especially with having to co-ordinate amongst all the
various sectors.
The most unique aspect of the construction of the JBR
project is that it is designed to seismic-design
standards, says Amous. “This means that in the event of
an earthquake of a high magnitude, the towers would be
able to withstand the seismic effect and will not come
collapsing down like a pack of cards.”
Of the total of 5,000 units at the Jumeirah Beach
Residence, the Al Habtoor share is earmarked at around
1,200 units, he further adds.
There is a wide selection of apartments here to suit
every lifestyle. Small families have the choice of
compact homes such as studio apartments and one and two
bedroom spaces that give a great view all around. Some
of these apartments face the sea; some overlook the
beautifully landscaped inner courtyards while the others
overlook the Marina Towers.
For a more luxurious choice, there are super premium
penthouses, terrace apartments, duplex apartments and
garden apartments or the spacious and lavishly designed
three and four bedroom apartments.
All the smaller sized homes boast of a kitchen with
breakfast counter, built-in wardrobes, balcony with
every apartment for a great view and parking for one
car. The net surface area that excludes balcony area and
external walls ranges from 635 sq.ft. for studio
apartment to a comfortable 960 sq.ft. for one-bedroom to
a spacious design in 1,240 sq.ft. average net area for a
two-bedroom flat.
The three and four bedroom apartments also feature
separate dressing room for the master bedroom, include a
maid’s room and an additional utility room, have
separate service lobby/entrance and has ample parking
space for two cars each. The average net area of a
three-bedroom apartment is 1770 sq.ft. while a
four-bedroom flat has luxurious interiors of 2550 sq.
ft. area.
The exclusive series of apartments that offer the
ultimate in luxury include penthouses at the top of the
towers that are spread over 5000 sq.ft. with two-level
design options and a private swimming pool. The terrace
apartments come with one or two terrace options with a
private swimming pool on one of them. Villa-like space
and full-length French windows are the highlights of the
duplex apartments while the garden apartments, which
overlook the main pool area, offer twin-level design and
an attached private garden.
“The interior designs of these super luxury apartments
are currently underway in co-ordination with the
services of well-established interior designers and
architects,” says Ziad Amous. “Now in the final stages
of design, these homes will be fitted with some
extremely high-quality materials and expensive items.”
The tallest building in the entire consortium will
consist of 506 units, he adds.
The podium, consisting of four levels, is the designated
parking area for the towers, he says. “The top of the
podium will consist of terraces and swimming pools while
at its lower level, facing the street will be the retail
areas.”
The cosmopolitan setting at the Jumeirah Beach Residence
indeed brings with it an equally exciting and
sophisticated retail environment. Positioned as an
upscale shopping and entertainment hub, the 650,000 sq.
ft. retail arcade of JBR is expected to be the heart of
all activity. Here, residents and visitors will have
access to nearly 180 outlets retailing high-fashion
international luxury brands alongside restaurants and
cafes.
Four luxury hotels will also be part of the Jumeirah
Beach Residence development. These will be owned by the
leading names from the hotel industry and will certainly
be amongst the top destinations for tourists and
business travellers.
As one of the largest construction projects undertaken
by Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises Co., the
construction for the JBR4 sector has come loaded with
challenges. According to Amous, “The
logistics involved in the construction of such a project
in such limited space and time makes it a very
challenging project. Initially, we had to undertake
complete redesign of the original
plans for the buildings to make them more cost-effective
and practical to build without sacrificing the quality
or performance of the structures. ”
Setting up a big team to execute the task too posed
another challenge. The total manpower at the site is
around 4,500 to 5,000 and co-ordination amongst various
project managers who independently handle large teams
takes tremendous effort and requires a great deal of
precision planning to ensure that the work flows
concurrently and smoothly with as few hitches as
possible.
Quality control and safety also represent increasingly
important concerns for project managers, he adds. “We
try to ensure that the job is done right the first time
and that no major mishaps occur on the project. During
the preliminary stages, component configurations,
material specifications and functional performance are
decided and quality control during construction consists
largely of ensuring conformance to these original design
and planning decisions.”
Safety during the construction project is also a crucial
factor and one that is given utmost importance at any of
the Al Habtoor construction sites, says Amous.
“Especially in the case of high-rise structures, the
higher you go, the riskier it is. For instance, when
fixing pre-cast units, some might weigh as much as seven
to eight tonnes, and placing them at high levels is a
risky factor indeed. Similar is the case with elevator
shafts. There are specifically designated people to
ensure that it is always closed or barricaded when in
use.”
Safety largely depends upon education, vigilance and
cooperation during the construction process, he adds.
“We have a well-experienced Safety Manager on the team.
Our officers also undergo safety precaution trainings
regularly and these are applied at the work place.
Workers are also educated on the need to be constantly
alert to the possibilities of accidents and avoid taking
unnecessary risks.”
Safety is paramount, he reiterates, underlining the
importance the firm pays to its greatest asset - the
work force. And with the Jumeirah Beach Residence now
in the final stages of completion, it won’t be long
before its privileged residents are able to enjoy the
ultimate lifestyle of a lifetime – the culmination of
yet another prestigious project undertaken by Al Habtoor
Engineering Enterprises Co. | 
