Dhs 425 million premises for Zayed University to be ready for new academic year

This announcement was made by Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality, who toured the project site on Monday to learn about progress of works there. He instructed officials handling the project to expedite works so that the buildings and other facilities are ready for occupation in time for the new academic year which begins in September 2006.

Mr. Lootah noted that the Municipality Chairman Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has given his instructions during a recent visit to the municipality that the project should be completed on time.

"We expect works of the main buildings to be completed by mid-August 2006. Staff from the university would make sure the campus' readiness to start functioning by the end of next month. During the tour, we found that some works have to be expedited and instructed those concerned to do the same and complete them on time," he said.

During the tour, Mr. Lootah was accompanied by Eng. Essa Al Maidour, Assistant Director General for General Projects, and other officials from Dubai Municipality, Zayed University and the contracting companies and consultants involved in executing the project.

The three-story building in the 77-hectare campus is unique in the sense that students can move around inside the campus without being subject to the hot and humid weather conditions. An engineering marvel, the building also incorporates several features of the local architecture including a tent over the open courtyard where students can gather and the covered and landscaped corridors.

Zayed University comprises six colleges that enable students to obtain a bachelor's degree in different disciplines. The faculties are: Arts and Humanities, Management Sciences, Communication and Media Sciences, Education, Home Science, and Information Systems.

The University City is a unique concept which seeks to revolutionize the way education is being imparted in Dubai. The construction of as many as 20 universities is planned on the 1,100 hectare University City premises, which will have a capacity to accommodate around 38,000 students, and some 3,800 teaching and non-teaching staff.

The planned construction area on the facility is expected to be 720 hectares. A comprehensive internal road network, connecting various parts of the City to the major roads in the area, has already been completed.

The City will provide suitable environment for higher education, and is designed to meet the current and future requirements of public and private educational institutions. The City would accommodate the projected increase in the number of students up to 2020.