Nakheel awards contract for Oasis theme villas at Jumeirah Islands to SembCorp Engineering

Nakheel, a leading property developer in the Middle East, has contracted SembCorp Engineering and Constructors to build 160 Oasis theme villas at its iconic project, the Jumeirah Islands, being developed between Interchange No. 5 and 6 on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

The Jumeirah Islands is a landmark residential project from Nakheel, offering waterfront villas built around man-made islands spread on an area around 300 hectares.

"The Jumeirah Islands is an oasis in the desert. With Nakheel's vision and technology, we redefined the concept of waterfront living. Water is pumped from the Arabian Gulf into the middle of a desert to create pools of water and plush villa units, with plenty of greenery and outstanding architectural designs." said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel, after signing the agreement. "Such a visionary project needs visionary contractors who share our passion for quality and commitment. We are confident SembCorp Engineering and Constructors will go the extra mile to translate into reality our vision of creating islands of fine living and upscale lifestyle in the midst of a desert."

"Jumeirah Islands is a fascinating project and SembCorp is extremely delighted to be part of it through the construction of the Oasis theme villas," said Eric Goh Lia Soon of SembCorp. "Nakheel has been driven by a passion to create projects that were unthinkable in a desert. SembCorp, with its expertise in executing several major projects, is fully equipped and committed to support this vision. We are assembling some of the best partners to ensure that the outstanding designs Nakheel has created for the different clusters on The Jumeirah Islands will be executed with perfection and global standards."

SembCorp has been contracted to construct and maintain 160 Oasis themed villas at the Jumeirah Islands Development. The contract is valid for 10 months after which the villas will be handed over to Nakheel.

The project reflects the international influence in Dubai with distinct architectural themes portrayed in the designs of the villas. The Jumeirah Islands development consists of 50 islands that are clustered around spacious and luxuriously landscaped canals and dotted with villas. Each cluster of villas is designed to stand out as an architectural marvel with its European, Islamic, Mediterranean or Oasis theme.

A total of 736 themed villas situated on 46 island clusters with 16 villas each, will be constructed as a part of the project, in addition to a number of apartment buildings, located on the fronds, and will be released by the end of 2004. Jumeirah Islands will also house extensive retail and leisure facilities. There will also be parks, walking trails, walkway bridges, a community club, and peddle-boating and canoeing facilities. A variety of elements ranging from exquisite architecture to strategically placed cascading waterfalls, bountiful gardens, romantic promenades, luxury marinas and an exclusive resort will all come together to form part of the unique experience called The Jumeirah Islands.