The Al Habtoor Group has just unveiled its most ambitious project to date – Al Habtoor City. The Chairman of the Group, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, hosted a lavish event in a marquee on the Al Habtoor City construction site on Monday October, 7. The event was attended by many high profile guests including HH Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development and many Western diplomats. Joanna Andrews reports…
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor officially unveiled Al Habtoor City – the world’s biggest residential and hospitality development under construction – to an elite guest list and the media in early October 2013. The Al Habtoor Group Chairman announced for the first time the latest addition to the mega project - three residential towers that will include 11 penthouses – two of which will be ultra-luxury VIP-style homes.
“We don’t have plans to sell the VIP penthouses, but if we did put them on the market, we would not sell any of them for less than US $250 million,” Al Habtoor said.
The event was held at the Al Habtoor City construction site, where the iconic Metropolitan Hotel once stood, on a prime location on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.
Al Habtoor said Al Habtoor City will be a new landmark for Dubai. “Today I stand here to make this announcement due to the vision, leadership and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The encouragement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, his hard work and leadership inspire me and give me the fuel to announce this project.”
He also thanked the other government entities for their cooperation, “Al Habtoor City is a dream which became a reality due to the cooperation of different government departments.”
“The UAE continues to grow because of our leader and citizens jointly working together,” Al Habtoor said. “Today, I am here to renew my vote of confidence in Dubai and its economy and to celebrate our success. But it is not just a success for the Al Habtoor Group, but the success of my country. Each and every one of us plays a vital role in the UAE’s success.”
The mixed-use development includes Dubai’s first-ever ultra-luxury St. Regis hotel, the Westin Dubai and a lifestyle W hotel. The multi-billion dirham development will also feature a one ofa- kind entertainment theatre. The Al Habtoor Group and Franco Dragone Entertainment Group have teamed up to bring a touch of Las Vegas to Dubai. The two well-known names will offer the only permanent water-based theatre production between Las Vegas and Macau. The project includes a helipad, a tennis academy – including an indoor stadium, a boulevard with multiple cafés and retail outlets and a marina on the recently launched Dubai Water Canal, which connects the Business Bay to the Arabian Gulf.
The Al Habtoor Group Chairman added, “Al Habtoor City will incorporate more than 3,000 hotel and residential units on one plot - the plot where we stand today.... Al Habtoor City is truly a breathtaking project. It will help boost the economy, provide thousands of jobs and will set a benchmark for future projects of its kind.”
The Al Habtoor Group has partnered with some of the world’s best-names to create a new destination for citizens, residents and tourists alike. Al Habtoor City will undoubtedly become ‘the’ meeting point at the centre of Dubai where each component within the development will have its own personality. On average, 20,000 visitors are expected to visit Al Habtoor City every day, up to 7.3 million visitors a year.