Downtown Jebel Ali gets down to business

Limitless, the global integrated real estate arm of Dubai World, has almost 700,000 square feet of office space available in its first buildings at Downtown Jebel Ali, a 200 hectare, mixed-use development being built along Sheikh Zayed Road. The first tenants are scheduled to move in in October 2007.

Stephen Ashford, Senior Development Manger at Limitless, said: "Downtown Jebel Ali is our flagship development, and these four buildings are real proof that the project is well underway. The offices are in what will be one of the most convenient locations in Dubai, with easy access to road and rail links, and to the new international airport. Offering modern, reversible and flexible space in a variety of configurations and tenant formats, the buildings have been created to meet both local and international business expectations. Our tenant list already includes leading international companies with well known brand names."

Each of the four commercial buildings offers 12 floors of office accommodation, all featuring high-quality fit-out. Typical floor plates are 14,500 square feet net, and can be rented entirely, or as half a floor. There are also four floors of car parking (two basement, two podium) plus two floors of which can be used as serviced business centres with conference facilities, boardrooms and other amenities, or as executive or entertainment floors. These floors provide access to landscaped roof terraces which can be used for corporate entertainment or for other functions. All floors can be interconnected via internal stairs should tenants wish to link multiple floors and departments.

On the ground floors are retail and food and beverage facilities centred around a through-lobby providing access to a new plaza as well as to Sheikh Zayed Road and to the upper office levels.

The buildings form part of the first group of eight buildings being developed by Limitless and are located at the Sheikh Zayed Road side of a heavily landscaped plaza currently under construction and due to open in 2008.

Downtown Jebel Ali will consist of four zones, and will stretch for 11 kilometres along Sheikh Zayed Road. Located between the Jebel Ali Free Zone and Techno Park, it will have 326 residential, commercial and retail buildings. Designed to allow ample space between buildings, it will feature pedestrianised and congestion-free areas. Each zone will have three individual districts: The Urban Centre, The Trellis and The Medina, creating a blend of business, residential, shopping, dining and entertainment facilities.

People who work in Downtown Jebel Ali will also benefit from its rich, convenient transport system, which will enable them to get to and from the office without the need for a car. An internal "people mover" will provide easy, environmentally-friendly travel within each zone with stops every 300 metres.

There will also be four Dubai Metro stations - the first of which is within easy reach of the first four commercial buildings - for effortless travel to and from each zone. Road access will be via four new freeway interchanges.