European investors show keen interest in Dubai Design Centre

The DDC generated tremendous response at the recently concluded BAU Exhibition 2005 in Munich, Germany.

The 13 million square feet, Dubai Design Centre is the largest home furnishing centre of its kind in the Middle East, designed to cater for a full scope of needs, ranging from furniture, tools, equipment, interiors and kitchenware. With a net prime retail space of 5.7 million square feet, DDC also contains offices for architects and engineers as well as additional amenities for customers, tenants and patrons from the GCC and the Middle East region.

DDC is the second specialised centre after Dragon Mart, being developed at Nakheel's International City, a world-class hub for international investors, traders and retailers, combining commercial, residential and tourism interests.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel, said "The region is seeing a tremendous boost in housing and commercial property development. With the Dubai Design Centre, Nakheel has addressed the need for providing world-class solutions in home furnishing and accessories under one roof. The development with its industry concentration will define next generation retailing in the region and create robust business opportunities for investors, traders and retailers."

A number of leading European companies has expressed keen interest in DDC's offerings as an ideal opportunity to satisfy the growing demand in the Middle East for world class furnishing accessories and building materials. Dubai Design Centre is slated for completion by the end of 2006.

The DDC is divided into special zones offering showroom space for products that are joined together according to category. These areas are lined up in the distinctly elongated 'U' shape of the development , with each zone providing customer choices in furniture, beddings, lounges, tables, general home ware, garden décor, carpets, fabrics, artwork, electrical and white goods, home entertainment products, lighting and fittings, air conditioning, baths, doors, windows, glass supplies, tiles shelves, timber, steel supplies, landscaping, gardening and other lifestyle amenities, such as pools and spas and a host of finishing products such as paints, varnish and tempering products among others. Retailers are allocated shop floor in the DDC depending on the profile and product category in order to maintain consistency with the Zoning regulations in the development. The complex has already attracted some of the biggest names in the home construction and furnishing solutions.

In addition, the Dubai Design Centre features office blocks providing 80,000 square meters of prime office space and a state of the art business centre, offering integrated conferencing and business related solutions to the tenants of the project. The Centre will also house a three and a four star hotel, three extensive food courts as well as an entertainment section. The Central Node in DDC will include offices, conferencing and business facilities and services.

"Dubai is witnessing rapid all around development, especially in the area of real estate and housing development projects. DCC is created to cater to the varied needs of property development sector of the Middle East," concluded Bin Sulayem.