Sheikh Omar Bin Saqr Al Qasimi inaugurates Dhs75m 'BuildMart'

The first-of-its-kind customer-friendly retail complex has been set-up to cater to a diverse target audience including interior designers, consultants and homeowners.

Furthermore, all the products in the retail complex are installed in an actual home set-up, thereby allowing customers a more convenient way to shop for building materials, fixtures and other household items.

Located along Zaid Road in Ras Al Khaimah, 'BuildMart' has been developed on a 150,000 sq. ft. plot across the Cove Rotana Resort. The retail complex incorporates a 20,000 sq. feet showroom, a 40,000 sq. ft. warehousing section, and a huge open area for additional shops and parking.

The store is divided into twenty different sections including kitchens, bathrooms, tiles, shower rooms, Jacuzzis, flooring for both ceramic and wood, ceilings, doors, paints, decorative glass and wallpapers. In addition to offering customers a wide range of building materials and design options that cater to every budget, 'BuildMart' also provides customers expert advice from highly-trained professionals on the best products, design materials and other design-related inquiries though its 'Design Centre'.

Speaking at the launch, Rizwan Sajan, Chairman, Danube, said:

"The launch of 'BuildMart' underlines Danube's commitment to addressing the building material needs of our customers - from the most basic to the most complex, while ensuring easy and convenient access to our products. We have pooled our extensive range of high quality materials under one roof, as part of our efforts to provide better service to match the exemplary quality of our products. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Omar whose strong support towards this project has largely contributed to the success of this expansion effort."

Despite the ongoing financial crisis, Ras Al Khaimah continues to be a prime venue for economic activity and development with some of the UAE's largest construction projects under construction in the emirate.

This, in addition to projections of over 111,000 residential units slated for delivery within Dubai and Abu Dhabi by 2011, has prompted Danube to take strategic steps to address the increased demand from homeowners as well as interior design specialists for top quality building materials across the Emirates.

Company officials are positive that this demand will drive the growth and success of 'BuildMart', given its capacity to provide personalised services and high quality products to address clients' specific needs.

"Ras Al Khaimah is currently teeming with economic development, proof of which can be seen in the presence of top development projects that are sprawled across this emirate - and this is exactly why we have chosen to establish the first 'BuildMart' here. Our expansion across strategic locations in the UAE is in line with our aims to leverage the high demand for building materials by meeting the stringent requirements of today's clients. The launch of 'BuildMart' is only the beginning of a new phase of our strategic expansion, as we are currently looking into establishing more retail complexes in the future," concluded Sajan.

The launch of 'BuildMart' follows Danube's recent expansion through two new state-of-the-art facilities in Ajman and Al Quoz, wherein the company has invested a total of Dhs55m to address the demand for top-quality materials in the region.

The Dhs30m facility in Ajman has a total area of 58,000 square feet and carries Danube's most popular products, including wood, steel, aluminium, glass, and flooring.

Furthermore, the manufacturer has made a decision to invest in a new factory in Al Quoz, which spans a total of 30,000 square feet.