International City - A melting pot of world culture, commerce and lifestyle

Located on the north side of Dubai in Al Warsan, the pre-designed complex will be set over an incredible 800 hectares of land. Internationally themed residential, commercial and tourist elements will blend together within the development and hence complement Dubai's growing reputation as a significant trade, investment, residential and tourist hub.

Sultan Bin Sulaymen, Chairman of Nakheel said, "Like every other project of Nakheel's, International City bears our unmistakable stamp of uniqueness, practicality and convenience. From iconic structures including a Forbidden City and Dragon Mart which will be recreated in intricate detail, to the themed architecture and expertly landscaped public areas, International City will be an impressive development for residents, traders, retailers and tourists alike".

"Construction of the project is already well underway with the grading of the land completed. The infrastructure construction including access roads, water, electricity, sewage and cooling is now underway. We expect the first phase to be completed and operational by mid 2004 with total completion towards the end of 2006", continued Sulayem.

The development will be made up of six key areas, including The Central District, Dubai Gates, The Dragon Mart, The Residential District, Lakes District and The Forbidden City.

The Central District will be the nerve centre of International City. Aptly located in the centre of the entire development it will cover 21 hectares and will be the heart of the city's commercial activity. A series of 11 office and residential blocks will feature prominently throughout this district, as will the eventual developments of the 34 plots of land due to be sold to independent developers. However, the focal point of The Central District will be an impressive tower housing corporate offices and reaching 40 storeys into the sky.

The cultural diversity of International City will be hard to miss in The Dragon Mart, a trade mall for Chinese companies. Designed in the form of a 1.4 kilomentre colourful dragon and covering 50 hectares of land it will be a tourist attraction in its own right.

The Dragon Mart will be a commercial area for more than 3000 Chinese companies, housing shopping areas, showrooms and restaurants. Due to the sheer size of the structure and number of companies, special designed thoroughfares for battery-powered cars have been cleverly incorporated into the design, facilitating effortless access throughout the trade mall. The ornately designed dragon's head will serve as a dramatic main entrance with access from the Dubai/Hatta road.

The Residential District will host a variety of country themed zones and cover 300 hectares of land weaving throughout the entire International City development. Accommodating more than 60,000 people these zones have been planned using the latest theories and techniques in town planning. The urban layout therefore ensures it's just a four-minute walk from any residential zone to the outer limits of International City.

21,000 well planned studio and one-bedroom apartments covering 44.5 and 66.5 square metres respectively will feature in residential buildings resembling the architectural styles of Italy, Spain, Morocco, Persia, Greece, China, Indonesia, England, Russia, Thailand and France. Developers also have the flexibility to convert the apartments into two-bedroom apartments.

Nakheel's trademark of extensively landscaped gardens will feature throughout the residential district, as will water features, recreational areas and amphitheatres. To ensure a true community setting for residents there will be a selection of retail outlets, restaurants, schools, hospitals, post offices and extensive parking facilities.

A focal point of the residential district will be the Lake District. Set over 60 hectares of land and boasting a serene lake, public park and residential buildings it will serve as a perfect location to reside, relax or entertain whether you're a resident, guest or tourist. 25 residential buildings with Thai and Indonesian architectural influences will deliver 1375 two and three bedroom duplex apartments ranging between 150 to 170 square metres in size - many with lake views. A select number of restaurants and retail outlets along with boating facilities will epitomise the relaxing neighbourhood atmosphere.

Bolstering the Chinese theme already exhibited with The Dragon Mart will be a magnificent and awe-inspiring replica of one of the world's best-preserved clusters of ancient buildings in China - The Forbidden City. Covering 240,000 square metres a combination of residential and retail outlets and Chinese themed gardens will ensure the legend of The Forbidden City comes alive.

The performing arts will feature strongly in The Forbidden City with two open-air performance courts and a museum of performing arts, whilst an impressive central court with pagoda will house an authentic Chinese restaurant. Six gateways will provide access to this fascinating area which is certain to bring the magic of the Chinese culture to Dubai.

DMJM International are the concept and master planners for International City and they are actively working with local architects on the design.