Ajman to spend billions on roads
Yasin Kakande , The National - August 17. 2008 5:46PM GMT
AJMAN // The Ajman Government will spend Dh3 billion (US$821 million) over the next three years to develop the emirate’s roads, a plan officials hope will put an end to traffic woes.
Mohammed Ahmed al Awadhi, the director of infrastructure development at Ajman Municipality’s Planning Department, predicted driving would be much easier when the dozen projects were completed by the end of 2011.
Already 80 per cent of the project designs have been completed, Mr Awadhi said. The proposed projects, which have been approved by the federal Government, include widening and lengthening several roads. They also include the construction of bridges and additional road lighting.
“We are already working on road development projects that include expansion and building bridges on three main roads in the emirate,” said Mr Awadhi. “These projects alone under work have cost a total of Dh408m.”
The road development projects will expand Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Road, link Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road with two major arteries – Sheikh Khalifa and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed roads – and enable Al Zorah Road to handle more cars.
Three tunnels will be added to Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Road, which will be expanded to six lanes and lengthened by four kilometres.
A tunnel will be built under the Humaidiya Bridge, while another bridge will be constructed to link Maktoum bin Rashid Road with Sheikh Khalifa and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed roads.
The third project will expand Al Zorah Road, which will be linked by a bridge to Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Road. A new intersection will also be built on the road, which will be lengthened to nine kilometres.
Other projects being designed include a network of roads in the Ajman Palm along a 10km-stretch of the coast at a cost of Dh39m.
A series of bright street lights will also be erected there, along with a new sanitation and drainage network. Mr Awadhi also said there were plans to build four bridges in different parts of the emirate at a cost of Dh325m.
The bridges will be added to Sheikh Maktoum bin Omar Al Aas Road, at the intersection of Zahra Street and Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid, at Naeemiya Road and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Road.
The other projects include creating a network of roads – and a service road – to help drivers better navigate the Julfar area. The entire project, including drainage and lighting facilities, has been budgeted at Dh79m. The new service road, stretching up to 20km in length, will cost Dh39m, including lighting and drainage facilities.
“We have already started surveying the area and set up a site office there,” said Mr Awadhi.
“Construction work would begin soon before the end of this year,” he added.
Service roads are also planned for Al Naeemiya area, which with lighting and drainage facilities are to cost Dh22m. During the next three years of construction, Mr Awadhi urged motorists to follow signs and alternative roads. He said the Municipality was ready to receive any comments or complaints from the public.
The projects are being monitored by Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, the ruler of Ajman, Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, the Crown Prince of Ajman, and Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid al Nuaimi, the Chairman of the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department.
Investors from Pakistan flock to Ajman
Gulf news - August 15, 2008, 23:58
Dubai: While the Gulf region is riding the swelling wave of real estate as the rest of the globe crashes under the credit crunch, in the relatively lesser known emirate of Ajman business is booming.
There is $2 trillion worth of projects underway in all sectors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to market estimates. And a massive $330 billion of this is set aside for civil construction projects. This unstoppable construction boom is there for all to see, marvel at and invest in.
While the weakened dollar creates chaos in the once stable markets of the US and the UK, developers in the east are seizing opportunities here in the Gulf, not only in Dubai but perhaps the dark horse of all the emirates, Ajman.
With an area of just 260 square kilometres, Ajman is the smallest of the seven emirates and the second emirate, behind Dubai, to offer freehold property. The current population of Ajman is a little over 360,000.
As the political problems in Pakistan intensify, Ajman is benefiting from the Pakistani developers flocking to the emirate in droves.
Hasnain Raza Lathubhai, partner at UAE-based development company, Skymax agreed the current political tensions in Pakistan are not helping business. He said there probably is a link between the situation and the increase in Pakistani money in UAE property projects. "To tell you the truth, things are pretty down. But Pakistan, if you look at its history, has gone through down periods like this before, and always comes out more expensive and more developed," Lathubhai said.
There are countless Pakistani developers building in Ajman, obviously seeing it as the ideal place to plunge millions of real estate dirhams.
Chapal World, Sweet Homes, Property House and Al Barakah are just a handful of developers throwing themselves into a plethora of mega-projects taking shape all along the Emirates Road in Ajman and in Ajman city itself.
These projects include Emirates City, Humaid City, Ajman Uptown, Awali City and Al Zorah.
Combined, they have a total development cost of well over Dh250 billion. To support such massive development, the Ajman government is also implementing a $1.4-billion infrastructure plan designed to beef up investor confidence in the emirate.
"As the third largest property market in the UAE, Ajman offers very attractive prospects for Pakistani investors," said Tahir Hussain, a vice president of the Pakistan Business Council in Dubai and also managing director of Schon Properties.
Hussain attributed increasing investor attraction to Ajman to government plans to build an international airport, improve infrastructure and the development of a host of large-scale developments are all contributing to the future boom of the emirate.
Lathubhai said the business relationship between Pakistan and the UAE is "more than close," due to the relaxed government policies and the well-known ease of doing business here.
Pakistan's popularity for real estate development can be clearly seen with the number of UAE developers looking across the water to Pakistan for lucrative development opportunities.
However, some developers wishing to expand in Pakistan have found it difficult to break into the market, with many pointing to the rising political tensions as the root cause. UAE developer Limitless was recently in talks with the Pakistan government to develop the multi-billion Karachi Waterfront. However, discussions appear to have stalled for the time being for unspecified reasons.
