Work on a raft of new projects within the Dubai Properties(DP)Business Bay development is set to move ahead after developers announced a series of projects at the Cityscape exhibition held in Dubai on 17-19 September. The new projects include:

The Elite Tower mixed-use development. The estimated $30 million tower, being developed by Bonyan Emirates Properties, a subsidiary of the local Bonyan International Investment Group, will comprise a 20-storey building with office, commercial and residential facilities. UK-based RMJM is the architect. Project management will be carried out by Bonyan Project Management, a strategic alliance between Bonyan and Malaysia-based architect Veritas Design Group. Bonyan has also signed an agreement with Jurong, a business unit of Singapore's SMM to provided facilities management services.

The Al-Manara tower. Local property developer ETA Starwill build a 37-storey building comprising six floors of car parking and associated commercial facilities. Singapore-based 61is the architect.

DP is working on plans for another tower to be launched by the end of the year. US-based TVS Architectsis acting as design consultant.

The latest set of towers in the Business Bay development follows the estimated $545 million contract awarded to the local Al-Habtoor Engineering Enterprisesin June to build 11 30-40-storey towers in Business Bay (MEED 3:6:05).

The local Ghantoot Transport & General Contractinghas also started site preparation works for the Seven Pearls project in the Ras al-Khor area. The scheme is part of the La Ville Contemporaire development, which encompasses Business Bay, the Wellness Village and the Seven Pearls.

In total, La Ville will cover an area of 3,450 hectares and have a built-up area of 16.3 million square metres. Initial investment in Business Bay alone is estimated at more than AED 20,000 million ($5,500 million).

The UK's Halcrowwas appointed in early 2005 to draw up the development's masterplan. US-based Hill Internationalis the project manager (MEED 9:2:05).