Dewan Architects and Engineers, the consultant firm with operations across the GCC and Asia, has been confirmed as the lead designer for the sprawling Al Nakheel City project in Basra, it was announced on Tuesday.
The huge project is expected to help alleviate the housing shortage in the Southern Iraq province, while also providing a modern and sustainable living and working environment for the population in the region.
“”As a major supporter of the construction efforts in the Iraqi housing sector, we are extremely pleased to be part of this significant project, which will see the establishment of an integrated community within a nurturing and sustainable environment,” said Mohamed Al Assam, founder, chairman and managing director of Dewan.
“We will utilise the vast expertise gained from working in the UAE, which has become a regional hub of world-class developments in the region, to ensure that all governorate and other stakeholder’s objectives are met and exceeded,” he added.
The consultant firm has worked on a number of projects in Iraq, including the Basra Cultural Centre and the Khademiya Development in Baghdad. It has also worked on a number of UAE based projects such as the Yas Hotel on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
The design phase, as well as the scheduling and prioritising of the Al Nakheel project is expected to be finalised by December 2013, the firm said.
Located 35km from Basra City and near the Faw and Umm Qasr seaports, the city aims to become an eco-tourism destination.
“This project’s importance stems from the fact that the city of Basra not only represents the only marine gateway to Iraq, but that it also serves as the main axis of trade into the Arabian Gulf and the region. In addition it serves as the economic capital of Iraq, and is home to a number of cultural and historical monuments,” Al Assam said.
Covering a total built up area of 145kmsq, the new city will accommodate and provide services to approximately one million people once it is complete. Dewan has pencilled in a 25 year development schedule for the project, which will have 100,000 medium and high-end housing units, an industrial zone and a free zone.
In addition a seaport and an airport for domestic and private jets will also be constructed.