Exclusive resort and residential development for Abu Dhabi

The Al Gurm Resort will consist of a premier 161 room international luxury hotel, as well as 59 exclusive villas. It will offer visitors and residents endless opportunities to appreciate and enjoy the beauty and serenity of its surroundings, while providing guest and residential facilities that are truly unique

The luxury private villas will be in a variety of styles responsive to their natural habitat and tranquil setting. Some will have their own private beach. All will have their own private pool. Each will have its own boat jetty. Nine of them will be situated on their own private islands.

Villa residents will be able to circulate and enjoy the natural habitat and tranquil environment through a network of boardwalks or through their own water borne transport.

The 5 star hotel will be an island resort that will fully complement the villa development. It will provide a mix of stunning chalets on individual islands along with an array of all suite accommodation centred on a lagoon. The resort will have a health and fitness club, a spa and a number of premier boutiques. There will be three first class restaurants offering: Asian cuisine, seafood and all-day dining. The seafood restaurant will be the resort's signature restaurant and it will be located on its own island that will be accessible only by boat.

Commenting on the announcement, ALDAR's Chairman Ahmed Al Sayegh said: "Not only will this stunning hotel resort be an icon for Abu Dhabi that will significantly add to Abu Dhabi's expanding tourism offer in line with the Government's declared and welcomed initiative, but it also celebrates the launch of ALDAR's hotel portfolio -- alongside our existing, and rapidly expanding, residential, commercial and amenity portfolios. We are therefore well on the way to providing our shareholders with a balanced and diverse portfolio to provide growth and realistic returns for their investment and faith in ALDAR. Construction work is now underway to deliver the resort to the world through a soft opening in early 2007, with the complement of villas following shortly thereafter. Discussions are well underway with a number of the world's leading resort operators and we expect to make an announcement in this respect very shortly"

With environmental concerns in mind, ALDAR's CEO Christopher Sims added:

"We at ALDAR fully recognise the role of the mangroves in the heritage and environment of the UAE. Therefore, our development at Al Gurm Resort will preserve and enhance this natural environment by being a well-planned eco-friendly environment in line with our stated missions and visions of preserving the environment in all our developments".