Sama Dubai appoints Abdulsalam Almarri General Manager for 'The Lagoons' mega-project

In his new capacity, Almarri will be in charge of managing and supervising 'The Lagoons' project.

Farhan Faraidooni, CEO of Sama Dubai, said: "Given the challenges posed by the uniqueness and scale of the project and the need for capable management, the appointment of Abdulsalam Almarri comes as a significant strategic move."

"Based on his extensive managerial and technical experience, I believe that Almarri will contribute greatly to the success of 'The Lagoons' project and the achievement of the project's goals. This move also reconfirms Sama Dubai's pledge to offer qualified UAE nationals more opportunities to serve their country through assuming key leadership positions."

"Almarri is certainly an important member of our team, a team we have been putting together in order to set a new benchmark in the real estate sector. We are confident that Almarri will have a pivotal role in the overall management and development of 'The Lagoons' project," he continued.

"I am delighted to join the 'The Lagoons' team, and looking forward to tackling the challenges and the responsibilities, as well as the success story that is the Lagoons project," said Abdulsalam Almarri, General Manager, The Lagoons.

Almarri has held a number of leading positions in the Dubai real estate sector, including Operations Manager at Dubai International Properties. There he supervised the administrative affairs, human resources and IT departments over a period of one year, which witnessed exponential growth in the number of projects undertaken by the company.

Almarri also held the position of director of the Chairman of the Board of Directors' office at Dubai's Department of Health and Medical Service's for five years before joining Dubai International Properties. Almarri was an officer and director of the IT Department with the UAE Armed Forces for over ten years.

Almarri holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the UK and a Bachelors degree in IT from Arkansas, USA. He is 40-years-old, married and has six children.

'The Lagoons' is one of the biggest real estate developments being undertaken in Dubai. It is one of the first projects in the Emirate to conduct a comprehensive Integrated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) following international standards across all phases of the project. 'The Lagoons' will offer freehold property with 100 per cent ownership to all nationalities.

'The Lagoons' will have seven beautifully landscaped islands incorporating parkland and open spaces. It will include a comprehensive range of facilities and conveniences and will comprise of residential units, shopping centers, office buildings, and marinas. These detached islands will be interlinked with bridges. The project will also incorporate a unique work environment with its own Central Business District (CBD), where multi-nationals and regional corporations can establish their headquarters.

Half of the project will be sold to third party investors as land plots for development. The remaining 50 per cent of the area will be developed, managed and operated by Sama Dubai. The project will be spread over an area of 70 million sq. ft.