The scheme has two phases to be developed in parallel. Phase 1, covering an area of 650,000 square metres, is the central business district, which will contain plots for 44 commercial towers, 18 hotels and 700 apartments. Phase 2 will be residential and cover an area of more than 6 million square metres, including 650 villas, more than 7,000 apartments, an 18-hole golf course and more than 70,000 square metres of retail space.

Preliminary works on the site are being carried out by Alsunut. Tenders for the main construction packages are expected by the end of the year. The development's masterplan was completed by Malaysia's ZDR. The Dubai office of KEO International Consultantsis the overall programme development manager.

Alsunut is a joint venture of the local DAL Group, the state of Khartoum and the National Social Insurance Fund. As part of the joint venture agreement, the government has provided the land, which is currently undeveloped mudflats, while DAL will develop a fully self-sufficient infrastructure for the development including power generating and water supply facilities, roads and sanitation.

The three have also teamed up to form the Public Development Authority, which is tasked with administrating Al-Mogran and providing operation and maintenance. Plots on the development are being marketed to individual investors. Several companies and four hotels have already bought plots on the development, including the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC) and Pakistan's Hashoo Group(see Briefing, page 12; MEED 8:5:05; 25:3:05).