Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) has launched a new AED1.1bn ($299m) mixed-use development in the free zone technology park.

Spanning an area covering 150,000 square metres, Silicon Park will offer a mix of office, commercial and residential space. The development will also offer a 115-room business hotel.  

Touted as the first ‘smart’ community to be built at DSO, Silicon Park will be built with green building materials and control mechanisms, solar panels and double-glazed windows to reduce heat absorption.

The development will rely on electricity-powered vehicles as the primary form of transportation. Several charging stations will be set up across the area that can be accessed by residents and visitors with electric vehicles. The project will also include other means of transportation such as smart rechargeable electric bikes.

The development will feature intelligent solutions ranging from charging docks for smart devices on the street to smart pop-up furniture and digital play tables, as well as optimally designed bus shelters, piazza shading, and other public amenities.

Visitors to the site will be directed through augmented reality technology, which converts real spaces to virtually generated maps.

“We are confident this scheme will succeed in offering a modern lifestyle for residents, workers and visitors,” says Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority. “The project’s standards are aligned to the Dubai government’s strategic directions on smart cities that focus on six pillars: life; society; mobility; economy; governance; and environment.” 

Work on the scheme has commenced and completion is expected by the fourth quarter of 2017, says Sheikh Ahmed.

In January, DSO announced plans for an AED1bn hospital and medical university to be built in the community. The project, called University Hospital, will be run by Saudi Arabia’s Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital and will be constructed in two phases. The 300-bed teaching hospital is expected to be completed by mid-2017, followed by the medical college in 2019.