At least seven groups submit offers for the construction contract
Dubai-based developer Majid al-Futtaim (MAF) has received bids from contractors for the contract to build its Al-Zahia mall development in Sharjah.
The bidders include:
- Al-Naboodah Contracting Company (local) / Laing ORourke (UK)
- Arabian Construction Company (Lebanon)
- Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC)
- Habtoor Leighton Group (local/Australia)
- Khansaheb Civil Engineering (local)/Alec (local)
- Six Construct (Belgium)
- TAV (Turkey)
The 30-month deal involves building a three-level mall, known as Al-Zahia City Centre, on a 183,505-square-metre plot, with space for 400 shops.
The retail area, which will include anchor tenants and department stores, also includes entertainment areas, food courts and restaurants. The total built-up area will be 248,300 sq m.
The work will also involve building a three-level car park with a total built-up area of 135,000 sq m and spaces for 5,200 cars. The structure will be connected to the mall with pedestrian bridges.
Infrastructure works include internal roads, landscaping and utility connections.
The utilities serving the mall will be a 33kV substation and a sewage treatment plant, which will be completed by the contractor on a design-and-build basis.
Flyovers directly connecting to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road in both directions are also planned, and are not included in the mall construction contract.
Al-Zahia is a gated residential community being developed by a joint venture of MAF and the Sharjah government.
The 10 retail projects you need to watch
Nakheel Mall construction
Nakheel Mall construction
Over the past five years developers have been keen to build new shopping malls as they seek to capitalise on the regions growing youthful population and high levels of disposable income.
Dubai has been the leader, and over the past decade or so it has opened retail centres such as Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall that have established the emirate as a global destination for shopping.
Other cities have followed, and there are now major new malls either planned or being built in cities such as Riyadh, Cairo, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
These projects have become crucial to property developers that seek stable recurring revenues from retail tenants and reduce their dependence on cyclical off-plan residential sales.
Retail is not without its challenges. Low oil prices have curbed spending, the market has become more saturated and some locations are in danger of oversupply. Competition is fierce as new entrants and online retailers establish themselves, and a strong dollar means that shopping in the GCC is becoming too expensive for shoppers from many regions.
Dubai has dealt with these challenges by building destination malls that offer entertainment as well as shopping, with attractions such as ski slopes, sky-dive centres and aquariums. The emirates developers are now devising new concepts in Dubai and taking these ideas to cities across the region.
You might also like...
Qiddiya evaluates multipurpose stadium bids
26 April 2024
Al Ula seeks equestrian village interest
26 April 2024
Morocco seeks firms for 400MW wind schemes
26 April 2024
Countries sign Iraq to Europe road agreement
26 April 2024
A MEED Subscription...
Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.
