Fugro Middle East won the award from the project's developers, United Development Company of Qatar, for structure specific site testing of the area around Porto Arabia, the island's main marina, in the face of competition from six GCC companies invited to tender.
"Fugro's expertise both in the region and with reclaimed projects was the deciding factor," said Nick Bashkiroff, Development Director, The Pearl-Qatar.
Fugro Middle East will now immediately begin drilling land and marine bore on the Porto Arabia sites, which will house multi-storey residential towers which will flank the main harbour of the Riviera-style island.
"Laboratory testing of soil and rock samples will determine the parameters for foundation design and the construction work can then commence," said Nick Willet, Deputy Manager, Fugro Middle East.
Fugro Middle East previously carried out the preliminary investigation and soil sampling for The Pearl-Qatar prior to the launch of reclamation work last April.
"We anticipate the work taking four months to complete and it will take place in tandem with reclamation operations," explained Willet.
Reclamation of the The Pearl-Qatar is currently a month ahead of schedule and piling for the first seven of the multi-storey Porto Arabia towers is due to commence mid November.
"We are well on target to ensuring that these towers, which will house the first freehold properties in Qatar ever to be offered for sale to international investors, will be ready for residency on schedule late 2006/early 2007," said Bashkiroff.
The 20-storey towers, which have been designed in four Mediterranean styles - Monaco, Tuscan, Provencal and Florentine - will feature a range of fashionable apartments, luxury penthouses and elegant town homes.
"Most will have sweeping views of what will be a regional yachting hub with a café style culture reminiscent of the best of the Mediterranean," said Bashkiroff.
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The Pearl-Qatar awards second site testing contract
- Qatar: Saturday, October 23 - 2004 at 09:13
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Fugro Middle East, part of the Fugro Group of Companies, one of the world's leading companies in sub-surface exploration and geotechnical interpretation, has won its second contract for The Pearl-Qatar, the USD 2.5 billion island being reclaimed offshore Qatar in the Arabian Gulf.
The Pearl-Qatar.
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Posted by Christine H. Andersen, Assistant News EditorSaturday, October 23 - 2004 at 09:13 UAE local time (GMT+4)
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About The Pearl-Qatar
This US $2.5 billion offshore, Riviera-style man-made island, covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land, is Qatar's first international real estate venture, the largest real estate development in the country and the first to offer freehold and residential rights to international investors. It will create over 40 kilometres of new coastline.
The Pearl-Qatar's name and location, on a former pearl diving site, leverages the country's traditions, and strong historical and cultural ties to the sea - it is an island rediscovered.
The Pearl-Qatar will eventually house 30,000 residents in an up-scale, multi-cultural residential community which will be a secure and exclusive, island retreat bringing the ambience and lifestyle of the Mediterranean to the heart of Arabia.
The four-phase development comprises 10 distinct districts to be developed over five years, with the first investors expected to take up residency in 2006. The Riviera Arabia themed districts will house three luxury hotels, four marinas, with combined mooring for over 700 boats, and 60,000 square metres of luxury retail and restaurant space.
The Pearl-Qatar is being built 350 metres offshore the West Bay Lagoon area of the country's capital, Doha. Whilst offering an exclusive retreat, the island will also be closely integrated with, and have easy access to, the capital's thriving community.
Dredging work for The Pearl-Qatar is currently underway; the project is due for total completion in 2009. The Pearl-Qatar is being developed and promoted by United Development Company (UDC), Qatar's largest private sector shareholding company.
ABOUT UNITED DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (UDC)
The Pearl-Qatar's developer, UDC, is the country's largest private sector shareholding company with a mission to identify and invest in long-term projects that contribute to Qatar's growth and provide good shareholder value. The company was established in 1999, with an authorized share capital of QR 500 million (US $140 million), and listed on the Doha Securities Market in June 2003.
UDC's target areas of interest include: infrastructure, energy-intensive industries, hydrocarbons downstream, real estate, construction and environment-related businesses. UDC established the Qatar Dredging Company - a joint venture with the State of Qatar and Belgium's Dredging International - and formed Qatar Cool, a district cooling company, in association with Tabreed of the United Arab Emirates. UDC is also a partner in Al-Seif Company Ltd - a joint venture with Qatar Petroleum to develop a plant to produce linear alkyl benzene (LAB), which is the main feedstock for detergent manufacture. The plant will have a production capacity of 100,000 tons a year. UDC has also invested in the Al Khaleej Formaldehyde Company.
UDC's founders, who at launch held 45% of the shares, are among Qatar's most successful investors and developers. A large number of Qatari and GCC investors are shareholders in UDC.
ABOUT THE STATE OF QATAR
Centrally located in the Arabian Gulf, the peninsula state of Qatar, with 17.9 trillion cubic metres, has five per cent of the world's proven natural gas reserves. Qatar is the richest Arab nation with a per capita income of US $30,000 per annum.
Eighty per cent of the Qatari population, which is now approaching one million, is based in and around the capital, Doha.
Qatar has strong historical and cultural ties to the sea. Pearl fishing was the traditional mainstay of the economy until oil and gas took over around 50 years ago. Although pearling is no longer a key economic driver, it has left a legacy of skills, stories, music, art and poetry that is a source of identity and pride for Qataris today.
Qatar has growing inbound tourism ambitions with The Qatar Tourism Authority targeting tourism arrivals of 1.25 million in 2005 and Doha International Airport is undergoing huge expansion and new build to cope with anticipated increased passenger traffic. When completed in 2015, the new airport will be able to handle around 50 million passengers a year.
Central to the international promotion of Qatar is the country's flag carrier Qatar Airways - now one of the world's fastest-growing international airlines. Currently serving a growing route network throughout Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Sub-Continent and Asia, the airline plans to serve more than 60 destinations by 2005 and have a fleet of 52 Airbus aircraft by 2008.
Qatar, already host to annual ATP tennis tournaments and PGA golfing events, is fast making a name for itself on the international sporting arena and, in 2006, will host the Asian Games.
The Qatari government has a pro-business stance on foreign investment and is encouraging the growth of the country's private sector, stimulating progress with an active privatisation programme.
*Source: Ministry of Economy and Commerce, State of Qatar
For further information:
Barbara Saunders, The Pearl-Qatar.
Tel: +974 4463406; Mobile: +9714 50 6253327
This US $2.5 billion offshore, Riviera-style man-made island, covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land, is Qatar's first international real estate venture, the largest real estate development in the country and the first to offer freehold and residential rights to international investors. It will create over 40 kilometres of new coastline.
The Pearl-Qatar's name and location, on a former pearl diving site, leverages the country's traditions, and strong historical and cultural ties to the sea - it is an island rediscovered.
The Pearl-Qatar will eventually house 30,000 residents in an up-scale, multi-cultural residential community which will be a secure and exclusive, island retreat bringing the ambience and lifestyle of the Mediterranean to the heart of Arabia.
The four-phase development comprises 10 distinct districts to be developed over five years, with the first investors expected to take up residency in 2006. The Riviera Arabia themed districts will house three luxury hotels, four marinas, with combined mooring for over 700 boats, and 60,000 square metres of luxury retail and restaurant space.
The Pearl-Qatar is being built 350 metres offshore the West Bay Lagoon area of the country's capital, Doha. Whilst offering an exclusive retreat, the island will also be closely integrated with, and have easy access to, the capital's thriving community.
Dredging work for The Pearl-Qatar is currently underway; the project is due for total completion in 2009. The Pearl-Qatar is being developed and promoted by United Development Company (UDC), Qatar's largest private sector shareholding company.
ABOUT UNITED DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (UDC)
The Pearl-Qatar's developer, UDC, is the country's largest private sector shareholding company with a mission to identify and invest in long-term projects that contribute to Qatar's growth and provide good shareholder value. The company was established in 1999, with an authorized share capital of QR 500 million (US $140 million), and listed on the Doha Securities Market in June 2003.
UDC's target areas of interest include: infrastructure, energy-intensive industries, hydrocarbons downstream, real estate, construction and environment-related businesses. UDC established the Qatar Dredging Company - a joint venture with the State of Qatar and Belgium's Dredging International - and formed Qatar Cool, a district cooling company, in association with Tabreed of the United Arab Emirates. UDC is also a partner in Al-Seif Company Ltd - a joint venture with Qatar Petroleum to develop a plant to produce linear alkyl benzene (LAB), which is the main feedstock for detergent manufacture. The plant will have a production capacity of 100,000 tons a year. UDC has also invested in the Al Khaleej Formaldehyde Company.
UDC's founders, who at launch held 45% of the shares, are among Qatar's most successful investors and developers. A large number of Qatari and GCC investors are shareholders in UDC.
ABOUT THE STATE OF QATAR
Centrally located in the Arabian Gulf, the peninsula state of Qatar, with 17.9 trillion cubic metres, has five per cent of the world's proven natural gas reserves. Qatar is the richest Arab nation with a per capita income of US $30,000 per annum.
Eighty per cent of the Qatari population, which is now approaching one million, is based in and around the capital, Doha.
Qatar has strong historical and cultural ties to the sea. Pearl fishing was the traditional mainstay of the economy until oil and gas took over around 50 years ago. Although pearling is no longer a key economic driver, it has left a legacy of skills, stories, music, art and poetry that is a source of identity and pride for Qataris today.
Qatar has growing inbound tourism ambitions with The Qatar Tourism Authority targeting tourism arrivals of 1.25 million in 2005 and Doha International Airport is undergoing huge expansion and new build to cope with anticipated increased passenger traffic. When completed in 2015, the new airport will be able to handle around 50 million passengers a year.
Central to the international promotion of Qatar is the country's flag carrier Qatar Airways - now one of the world's fastest-growing international airlines. Currently serving a growing route network throughout Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Sub-Continent and Asia, the airline plans to serve more than 60 destinations by 2005 and have a fleet of 52 Airbus aircraft by 2008.
Qatar, already host to annual ATP tennis tournaments and PGA golfing events, is fast making a name for itself on the international sporting arena and, in 2006, will host the Asian Games.
The Qatari government has a pro-business stance on foreign investment and is encouraging the growth of the country's private sector, stimulating progress with an active privatisation programme.
*Source: Ministry of Economy and Commerce, State of Qatar
For further information:
Barbara Saunders, The Pearl-Qatar.
Tel: +974 4463406; Mobile: +9714 50 6253327
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