Design work by GNGCD, also known as the Great White Shark, is due to take about six months. The company will also supervise construction. Prequalification of contractors has been completed, with a tender due to be issued about half-way through the design work.

'Greg Norman visited the site and is taking a personal interest in the project, particularly because it is unusual these days to get the chance to design a golf course that is not just part of a residential development,' says Wael al-Lawati, acting chief executive officer of government-owned Waterfront Investments, which is developing the resort in partnership with Dubai-based Majid al-Futtaim Investments. Commercial bids are due to be opened imminently for the concrete blocks package on the quay wall. About seven companies are shortlisted for the contract, which involved the manufacture of several thousand 40-60-tonne blocks (MEED 23:12:05). Prequalification has been completed for the main dredging and reclamation package, calling for dredging of 5 million-7 million cubic metres of material, and a tender will be issued following the completion of design work, which is well-advanced. 'Our strategy is to tender all the construction packages openly - while the designers are more often approached directly - and to complete prequalification at an early stage so that we are ready to go out to companies as soon as design is sufficiently advanced,' says Al-Lawati.

The first release of property on the Wave recently took place and was oversubscribed 20 times. The resort will stretch along seven kilometres of coastline and will include residential elements, hotels, a marina, a nature reserve and retail and leisure facilities (MEED 23:9:05).