Dubai Maritime City has inaugurated Maritime Business Centre 2 (MBC-2). Billed as a premium commercial tower, the project expands Grade A office capacity within Dubai’s maritime and trade ecosystem.

The new tower, delivered in 20 months, had 78% of its space leased before its opening. This reflects the strong demand for high-quality commercial space in well-connected business districts across Dubai. The Maritime Business Centre presents a unique commercial offering, featuring 125 exclusive premium office units with waterfront views, said a statement.

Ahmed Al Hammadi, COO, Dubai Maritime City said, “The strong pre-leasing demand for Maritime Business Centre 2 reflects continued confidence in Dubai Maritime City as a strategic destination for maritime and trade-related businesses. As DP World expands into integrated urban and economic zones, projects like this show how we are creating high-quality spaces around our core infrastructure.”

The development offers 2-office categories, fully fitted plug-and-play offices enabling immediate operational readiness and shell-and-core offices that provide tenants with the flexibility to customise their workspace based on operational and branding needs.

The tower boasts a wellness floor equipped with a gym, recreational areas, retail outlets, food and beverage spaces, and 480 parking bays, including designated spaces for electric and hybrid vehicles and individuals with disabilities. Additionally, it features smart building systems designed to minimise energy consumption.

Dubai Maritime City’s headquarters, along with Jafza’s licensing department, have relocated to Maritime Business Centre 2, the organisation said.

Source: MEConstructionNews

Al Ramz Real Estate Company said it has signed agreements to acquire the remaining units in a private real estate investment fund that owns the Qurtuba 2 development in Riyadh, in a deal valued at US $35.5mn.

The transaction will raise Al Ramz’s ownership in the Al Ahli Aleen Enbar Real Estate Fund from 23% to 100%, giving the company full control of the project, as it seeks to expand its exposure to strategically located real estate developments in the Saudi capital.

In a filing to the Saudi Stock Exchange, the company said it currently owns 23% of the fund’s units, representing an investment of approximately US $10.6mn. Upon completion of the acquisition, Al Ramz will become the sole owner of the fund.

The fund owns the Qurtuba 2 project, a planned mixed-use development located in Riyadh’s Qurtuba district along Prince Mohammed bin Salman Road, also known as the Sports Boulevard corridor. The project spans about 130,386sqm and is expected to include around 1,800 residential units as well as approximately 250 commercial and office units, alongside hospitality components.

Al Ramz said the project’s location in an area characterised by strong demand and limited supply enhances its investment potential and long-term prospects.

In addition to acquiring the fund units, the company said it will secure contracts related to the development, marketing, sales, operations and facilities management of the project. The value of those contracts and related fees will be disclosed at a later stage in accordance with regulatory requirements.

The acquisition will be financed through the company’s internal resources and available credit facilities. The transaction also remains subject to the completion of regulatory and contractual procedures and the execution of payments according to an agreed timetable between the parties.

Al Ramz said the acquisition aligns with its strategy of increasing ownership in high-quality real estate projects in Riyadh and strengthening long-term investment returns.

The company expects the transaction to contribute positively to its financial performance over the period from 2026 to 2031.

Source: MEConstructionNews

Iraq’s private sector is projected to invest nearly US $65bn during the 2024-2028 development plan, which prioritises infrastructure projects, as revealed by the planning ministry.

Ministry spokesperson Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi stated that the ministry is actively working to implement a diverse range of projects and programs aimed at enhancing services, diversifying the economy, and alleviating poverty and unemployment, with the invaluable support of the private sector.

“The projects focus on several key sectors, mainly infrastructure projects encompassing water, sewage, roads, electricity, energy, gas, housing and reconstruction, municipal services, health, education, food security, agriculture, transportation, and communications, as well as economic projects that support economic diversification and reduce dependence on oil,” he told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

“The plan also includes completing major strategic projects with developmental and service-oriented impacts, such as the Development Road project and the Grand Faw Port project. The volume of private sector investments within the 5-year plan amounts to $65bn, representing about 35% of the total planned investments,” he concluded.

Source: MEConstructionNews

Gensler has appointed Dima Rachid as Landscape Urbanism Design Lead within its growing Cities Studio in the Middle East, reinforcing the firm’s long-term commitment to shaping people-centered urban experiences across the public and private sectors.

Based in Dubai, Rachid will play a central role in advancing the studio’s work across climate-responsive, resilient urban environments.

In her new role, Rachid will work closely with multidisciplinary teams to deliver innovative, integrative, context-driven solutions that prioritise sustainability, liveability, and long-term resilience under the direction of Steven Velegrinis, Design Director, Gensler Middle East and Head of Cities Practice APME.

The appointment comes amid continued growth for Gensler’s Middle East Cities studio, which is delivering projects across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and international markets, with projects including: Rawasi Muscat, a vibrant hospitality driven destination that is the first Mountain Wellness Integrated Tourism Complex in Oman; a tourism masterplan in Vang Vieng, Laos; master planning packages on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast; and infrastructure and resilience-focused work across Africa, including projects in Kenya and the Lagos Coastal masterplan in Nigeria.

Velegrinis remarked, “Dima brings a thoughtful and progressive approach to urban design, grounded in ecological intelligence and systems thinking. As our Cities practice continues to grow, her leadership strengthens our ability to deliver impactful solutions at scale. She understands how to turn complexity into clarity and create places that are both resilient and meaningful for the communities they serve.”

Rachid’s portfolio includes major public realm and regeneration projects such as the Ministry of Culture JAX in Diriyah, the Horsh Beirut Regeneration Plan, the JAX Public Realm Regeneration Plan, and a sustainable greywater treatment pilot within one of Saudi Arabia’s giga projects. She also brings strong academic and thought leadership credentials, having held teaching positions in Los Angeles, Beirut, and Dubai, and regularly contributing to regional conversations on urban design, sustainability, and the future of cities.

Tariq Shaikh, Co-Managing Director and Principal, Gensler Middle East added, “Rachid’s appointment reflects Gensler Middle East’s continued investment in urban design and planning capabilities. Our Cities studio is playing a critical role in delivering holistic, future-focused solutions that support national visions and global sustainability goals – elevating tourism, business, and everyday life.”

Todd Pilgreen, Co-Managing Director and Principal, Gensler Middle East concluded, “The projects ahead of us are complex and require broad systems thinking. Rachid’s leadership and multidisciplinary experience will strengthen our ability to support clients in delivering high-impact, large-scale, community-centric projects, helping position Gensler as a trusted partner shaping The Middle East’s next chapter of growth.”

Source: MEConstructionNews

Contracts representing investments worth US $3.54bn and covering a total area of more than 2.7m sqm have been awarded for 6-development sites by The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites.

The contracts were awarded under the Developed Districts Program. The initiative is said to be part of the commission’s efforts to enhance the urban environment, support economic growth, improve quality of life, and advance sustainable development in the Holy City. The commission stated that the awarded sites are located in the neighbourhoods of Jurhum South, Al-Khalidiyah, Al-Hajlah, Al-Hindawiyah East, Al-Hindawiyah South, and Al-Hindawiyah West.

According to a report, the projects will be implemented through partnerships with real estate development and investment companies, as well as investment funds, reflecting the integration of regulatory and development efforts to deliver urban projects with sustainable economic and developmental impact.

The commission explained that the projects aims to redevelop priority areas by improving land-use efficiency, upgrading infrastructure and public services, addressing urban challenges, and enhancing Makkah’s investment and development attractiveness.

A report by Zawya Projects said that the consortium led by Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction has received 2-letters of award from the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites to develop 2-sites (Hindawiya West and South) adjacent to Masar Destination in Makkah.

The project is estimated to cost around $1.6bn, the developer said in a statement to the Saudi stock exchange. The project has a combined area of 1.15m sqm and will be carried out by establishing a real estate investment fund managed by a financial institution licensed by the Capital Market Authority. The consortium comprises Umm Al Qura, Makkah Construction and Development Company, and Al Rajhi United Real Estate Company.

Source: MEConstructionNews

AESG has inaugurated its new 25,000sqft headquarters in Dubai. The new headquarters consolidates AESG’s Dubai-based teams into a purpose-designed multidisciplinary high-performance environment, the consultancy said.

According to a statement from the firm, the move marks a significant milestone in its evolution and its commitment to the emirate as a centre for business, innovation, and technical excellence. The company now has a global footprint with offices in London, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Cape Town, Cairo and across several Middle East markets.

The new headquarters was launched following a period of sustained growth: the firm’s project pipeline has increased by over 60% in 2-years, with headcount doubling to over 500 consultants since the start of 2023, the company explained.

That expansion reflects rising client demand for integrated delivery across some of the region’s most technically demanding sectors, including data centres, giga-projects, hospitality, mixed-use developments, and large-scale infrastructure, it added.

Over the same period, AESG has significantly broadened both the scale and complexity of projects it is engaged on, as well as the technical disciplines it brings to bear on them. Increasingly, the firm is being appointed not to deliver a single service line, but to provide end-to-end technical integration across the full lifecycle of major developments, from early-stage feasibility through to detailed engineering and cost management.

“The built environment across the region is undergoing a fundamental shift in how complexity is managed and delivered. Clients are no longer procuring skillsets in isolation — they are seeking fully integrated teams that can bring engineering, sustainability and cost optimisation together from the very outset of a project. Our growth over recent years is a direct reflection of that demand, and this headquarters is our response to it. It also reflects our continued confidence in Dubai as a global hub for business and innovation. The emirate’s infrastructure, talent pool, and long-term ambition make it the right place to build from — and we remain firmly committed to it,” explained Saeed Al Abbar, CEO of AESG.

A defining feature of the new headquarters is a dedicated Data Hall — an in-house, high-performance digital engineering environment supporting AI-enabled workflows, computational fluid dynamics, digital twin modelling, high-performance BIM coordination, and real-time simulation. The facility provides a secure, scalable platform for AESG’s proprietary AI and digital engineering tools, and is designed to support the increasingly data-intensive demands of the projects the firm is delivering across the region and internationally, it added.

Scott Coombes, Co-Founder and Managing Partner concluded, “When AESG was founded in Dubai, the ambition was always to build something that could set benchmarks at an international level, while remaining deeply rooted in this market. Looking at where we are today — the breadth of our technical capabilities, the complexity of the projects we are delivering, and the reach of our global offices — that ambition is very much being realised. Investing in our own Data Hall, within our own headquarters, is consistent with that approach. It gives us a secured, scalable platform to develop proprietary AI and digital engineering tools in-house, which translates directly into better, faster, and more reliable outcomes for our clients. Dubai continues to be the right place to make that kind of long-term investment.”

Source: MEConstructionNews

Majid Al Futtaim has signed an agreement with Dubai South to develop a landmark mixed-use community at an investment of US $16.8bn.

Spanning 22m sqft, the new master-planned development will feature a diverse mix of residential, retail, and lifestyle offerings, designed to serve the growing population within Dubai South and the surrounding areas, said a statement.

The project will be anchored by a large shopping mall, set to become a key retail, entertainment, and lifestyle destination for residents and visitors alike.

Strategically located near Al Maktoum International Airport, which is set to become the world’s largest airport upon completion, the development will benefit from seamless connectivity to key highways and major transport corridors, within close proximity to Dubai’s major economic and logistics hubs, it added.

The agreement was signed at Dubai South HQ by Nabil Alkindi, Group CEO of Dubai South, and Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Holding in the presence of Khalifa Alzaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, and Fadel Abdulbaqi Al Ali, Chairman of Majid Al Futtaim Holding.

On the key project, Alkindi said, “Dubai continues to demonstrate the resilience and strength of its economy through strategic developments that reinforce its position as a global destination for investment, business, and quality living.”

“This partnership with Majid Al Futtaim marks an important milestone in the continued growth of Dubai South, in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and our wise leadership’s long-term vision to develop integrated, future-ready communities that support sustainable economic and urban expansion,” he stated.

Ismail said the agreement underscores Majid Al Futtaim’s long-term confidence in Dubai’s growth and its commitment to creating destinations that deliver lasting economic value.

“Dubai South is emerging as the next major chapter in the city’s development, and we are proud to shape our next mixed-use community in such a vibrant and strategically important location. Dubai continues to set a global benchmark for resilience and ambition, and our collaboration with Dubai South is a strategic investment in the emirate’s future, helping to build its next economic hub through an integrated destination that brings together retail, entertainment, hospitality, and residential experiences within one of Dubai’s fastest-growing urban hubs,” he concluded.

Source: MEConstructionNews

Aramex has announced a partnership with Netzero, a Saudi-developed smart afforestation platform, to plant trees across the Riyadh and Jeddah Industrial Cities.

The smart tree sustainability initiative is a key step in Aramex’s ESG efforts, reinforcing its national and global environmental responsibilities, while directly contributing to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative.

The initiative will see Neem and Poinciana trees planted in targeted urban and industrial zones selected for their resilience under desert conditions. Both species are well-suited to high-temperature, low-rainfall environments and have been chosen for their capacity to enhance soil quality, provide shade and improve air quality in areas with dense operational activity, the firm said.

Founded in 2019 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Netzero has built its afforestation platform around Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies that digitise the full lifecycle of a tree, from planting and maintenance to carbon-sequestration estimation. Its Nabatik system creates a smart tree database that gives corporate partners continuous, auditable records of their afforestation activities, it added.

The partnership also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s national environmental agenda. The Saudi Green Initiative has set a target of planting ten billion trees across the Kingdom, with corporate initiatives forming a key pillar of that effort.

Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Nowaiser, General Manager of Aramex in KSA said, “Sustainability is not a peripheral commitment at Aramex – it sits at the centre of how we operate across every market we serve. In Saudi Arabia, we have a responsibility to contribute meaningfully to the country’s environmental ambitions, and this partnership with Netzero allows us to do exactly that. What makes this initiative stand apart is the rigour behind it: every tree is digitally tracked and independently verified, giving our customers, partners and regulators transparent, real-time evidence of the impact we are delivering. We are proud to be planting a green space in the industrial communities where we work every day.”

Dr Mohammed Alshaikh, Co-Founder of Netzero concluded, “At Netzero, we believe that true sustainability is not achieved simply by planting trees, but by building a deeper connection between people and nature, and transforming environmental impact into tangible value that communities can truly experience. Through technology and innovation, we work to turn every tree into a measurable impact that supports sustainability goals, empowers communities, and contributes to building a more balanced and sustainable future for generations to come.”

Source: MEConstructionNews

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has completed preparations for the road and infrastructure network in Makkah and the holy sites for Hajj. This includes implementing over 11m linear meters of roads.

The ministry achieved this through a comprehensive package of development works and field interventions. These efforts aimed to enhance traffic flow and improve mobility efficiency in densely populated areas. In addition to road construction, the ministry also worked on the maintenance and development of approximately 74m sqm of road surfaces.

To further strengthen the traffic network and support mobility efficiency in Makkah and the holy sites during the Hajj season, the ministry also asphalted over 1.2m sqm.

The plan also included enhancing the readiness of 123 bridges and 44 pedestrian and vehicle tunnels. Additionally, infrastructure improvement works were carried out along traffic routes. These efforts contributed to improved road safety and more efficient movement in crucial areas and around the holy sites.

The ministry emphasised that these efforts are part of an integrated operational system. This system aims to enhance the efficiency of municipal infrastructure, improve traffic flow, and reduce congestion points in areas with high crowd density during the Hajj season.

Source: MEConstructionNews

Dubai Holding Asset Management (DHAM) has broken ground on Lantana Hills, a new premium gated residential community in Dubai Science Park, Al Barsha South.

DHAM has appointed Group AMANA as the main contractor under a US $185.16mn agreement.

The milestone represents a key step in DHAM’s continued expansion of its managed residential leasing portfolio across the emirate, reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-quality, future-ready communities, said a statement.

Comprising 390 private townhouses within an amenity-rich environment, Lantana Hills will offer 3- and 4-bedroom family homes thoughtfully designed around the rhythms of modern lifestyle. The development will feature landscaped open spaces, community focused amenities, and seamless connectivity to nearby schools, healthcare facilities, and retail destinations. Handover is scheduled for the second half of 2027.

Group AMANA will deploy DuBox and DuPod’s modular technologies to deliver the community. By leveraging the latest off-site construction methods, the project will accelerate delivery timelines, reduce material waste by up to 30%, and improve on-site safety by more than 70% compared to traditional construction methods, with approximately 85% of the construction completed off-site.

Manufactured within a controlled factory environment, a record 2,730 modular units by DuBox and 2,020 bathroom pods by DuPod will ensure exceptional standards of quality, precision, and consistency. Driven by a strong commitment to sustainability, the project sets a new benchmark for smarter, faster, and more responsible community development.

Lantana Hills will offer strong city-wide connectivity, with Dubai Hills Mall within 10 minutes, Mall of the Emirates within 15 minutes, Dubai Mall approximately 20 minutes, and Al Maktoum International Airport approximately 25 minutes away.

Dubai Holding Asset Management is the majority strategic unit-holder in Dubai Residential REIT, the owner and operator of Dubai Retail which oversees 56  malls and lifestyle destinations, and the majority strategic shareholder of TECOM Group.

Source: MEConstructionNews