ISLAMABAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Islamabad: The Islamabad International Airport to be constructed at Fateh Jang will be one of the most prestigious project equipped with most ultra modern facilities, which will meet all the requirements of Civil Aviation, it is learnt.
The airport will facilitate the smooth handling of the national and international flights and a large number of passengers coming and going out of Pakistan.

The project for which the comprehensive planning was still in the process in some cases is expected to cost billions of rupee and will be completed within a period of four to five years.

The plans for the new international airport which will replace the old Chaklala Airport will be formally approved by the cabinet in due course.

The fate of the present international airport in Chaklala, however could not be known. It is possible that it might be retained as a PAF airport. It was also not confirmed if the airport will be allowed to operate to cater the internal flights.

The foundation laying ceremony of the airport for which thousands of acres of land has already been acquired will be performed by the President Pervez Musharraf in the near future.

It is learnt that the new airport has been planned to meet all the future requirements, landing strips, terminals, parking bays, passenger lounges, cargo houses and above all the chain of administrative buildings and residential colonies.

According to experts the airport will be a huge and gigantic complex and will be an example of its kind in the region.

Since the new airport will be way from Islamabad and Rawalpindi the authorities plan to construct two way wide roads up to airport to meet the increasing traffic. For the convenience of the passengers and also other people arrangements to run special transport are also under consideration.

The Ministry of Defence has since issued directive to the concern district authorities to discourage setting up of private housing societies within a distance of five to ten miles around the airport.

The decision to construct international airport at Fateh Jang was taken by the government about two months back and it was formally announced by the Shaukat Aziz during his last visit to the area, which is the part of his constituency. -- BR

PORT GRAND AISA'S LARGEST FOOD STREET

Port Grand is being constructed by an international consortium, which includes leading North American Designers and Architects and renowned Chinese Contracting Companies.

Port Grand is planned to be completed in three phases. Port Grand will be equipped with a dedicated Pier to facilitate dinner cruises and eco tourism.

Here you can bask in the glory of the Karachi breeze or in the serenity of a dazzling ocean. its an innovative entertainment facility concieved by the Karachi Port and being built under an agreement between Karachi Port Trust and Grand Leisure Corporation. the unique food street on the historic Native Jetty Bridge will offer foods for all moods in a spectacular setting.

www.portgrand.com

MUBARAK CENTER PAKISTAN 'S FUTURE TALLEST TOWER

TITLE: Tallest buildings in Pakistan (3 towers 1 shopping complex)
PROJECT: Sheikh Zayed Business / Shopping Complex
LOCATION: Ferozepur Road, Lahore
COST: $250 Million (Rs 15bn)
AREA: 91 Kanals
JOBS: 30 Thousand People
INVESTORS: Dhabi Group UAE
CONSTRUCTION START: May 2005

Watch the Video - http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=S...id-Twin-Towers

CM directive to construct SZ Complex
By Our Staff Reporter

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, has directed the concerned officials to implement the project of construction of a big commercial center, Sheikh Zayed Complex, over an area of about 91 Kanals at Ferozpur Road Lahore.

Chief Minister passed the instructions while presiding over a high-level meeting here on Monday.

The foundation stone of the project will be laid in May this year, after which construction activities would immediately be started.

An agreement between the Punjab Government and Dhabi Group and Associates of UAE is expected to be signed shortly after which a company will be formed in the name of Taawan. The Punjab government and Dhabi Group will have representation in the board of directors of the company, which will give a practical shape to the project. The chief minister said that the project would play an important role in the promotion of trade and recreational activities in the city besides creating 30,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.



Elahi okays Shaikh Zayed Commercial Centre

* Centre will be built on Ferozepur Road, cost Rs 15 billion
* Groundbreaking for Pakistan’s tallest building in May

Staff Report

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has approved the construction of a commercial centre, Shaikh Zayed Complex, on Ferozepur Road. The centre, consisting of a basement and three towers, will house a shopping mall, hotels, corporate offices and mini cinemas. Its construction will start next month.

The DHABI Group of United Arab Emirates will construct the tallest building in Pakistan over an area of 91 kanals at a cost of Rs 15 billion.

Chairing a meeting on Monday, the chief minister said that the centre would promote trade and recreational activities in the provincial metropolis and generate around 30,000 jobs.

The meeting was informed that the centre’s banquet hall would have a seating capacity of around 5,000 and its four parking basements would have space for around 4,000 vehicles.

The chief minister said that the Punjab government and the DHABI Group would soon sign an agreement to form a company, named Taawan, to execute the project. He said that the company would have directors both from the Punjab government and the DHABI Group.

Elahi said that Shaikh Zayed Complex would play an important role in generating economic activity in the province and would improve the living standard of the people.

Bashir Tahir, the DHABI Group chief executive, Kamran Rasool, the Punjab chief secretary, Salman Siddique, finance secretary, Sibtain Fazal Haleem, communication and works secretary, and Pervaiz A Shahid, the Bank Alflah executive incharge, attended the meeting.

Tahir said that his group was launching several projects in telecommunication, banking and other industries in Pakistan. He said that Shaikh Zayed Complex would give an impetus to trade and business activities.

SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY PARK U/C

LAHORE: Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is likely to inaugurate Pakistan’s first software technology park (STP) on Ferozpur Road today (Monday). The Rs 1.5 billion project by the provincial government will be completed in 12 months and is expected to create 10,000 jobs and generate economic activity of Rs 9 billion per year.

The 15-storeyed park is being constructed in front of Children Hospital on 300,000 square feet of land.

A Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) official said the STP would offer a number of facilities including VSAT, LAN/WAN, video conferencing, a research and development laboratory, an IT incubation centre, a training institute, an IT university, a global database centre, banking, a health club and a modern security system. Consultants from Singapore will manage the project.

The official said the STP would serve companies from the IT and telecommunications sectors, especially cell centres, software application maintenance outsourcing companies, business outsourcing companies, Internet service providers, disaster recovery companies and telemedicine companies. “The province must have a proper IT park to attract foreign investment,” he said. “The park management will set up a one-window service to facilitate foreign investors.”

A Punjab IT Department official said the government had decided to lease out ready-to-use offices to IT and telecom companies at low rates to help them compete in the international market. Designers of the project have suggested reserving four of the park’s floors for small and medium companies, which were the backbone of Pakistan’s IT industry, he added.

PITB Chairman Rizwan Amin Sheikh refused to comment, but said all details would be announced on Monday.

CRESENT BAY U/C

Emaar unveils three real estate projects in Pakistan with total investment of AED 8.8 billion

Emaar Properties, the leading property developer, today announced three real estate developments in the cities of Islamabad and Karachi in Pakistan.

The projects, with a total investment of AED 8.8 billion (US$2.4 billion), will include a series of master planned communities that will set new benchmarks in commercial, residential and retail property within Pakistan.

The nation's capital, Islamabad, is home to two Emaar Pakistan projects: the Highlands and Canyon Views. With 1,500 acres between them the Islamabad communities offer 9,000 luxury single-family town homes and villas in a range of architectural styles with easy access to amenities including retail centres, community club houses, parks, lakes, schools and mosques.

Karachi will be home to Crescent Bay, a 75-acre development featuring high- and mid-rise towers for residential and commercial use, a shopping centre and five-star beachfront hotel. The towers will contain approximately 4,000 residential apartments.

Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties said Pakistan represented a vital link in Emaar's global and regional plans. 'These current projects are only a small and initial part of our commitment to providing world-class living and infrastructure in Pakistan,' Alabbar said.

He added: 'Pakistan will play an important role in the development of Emaar's reputation in Asia, and remains one of our most significant commitments outside of the UAE.'

The Highlands development is located within the Defense Housing Authority Islamabad (DHAI) Phase 1 extension and Canyon Views is within the DHAI Phase 2 extension. Offering approximately 50 separate community districts with its own individual identity, a spectrum of architectural styles ranging from Mediterranean, Tuscan, Mughal, Arabic and Spanish, will be available to select from.

Crescent Bay, located within Karachi's DHA Phase 8 and in close proximity to the DHA golf course, will also offer individual architectural styles for each tower within the development. All three projects are expected to be completed in the next four to five years.

Mohammed Al Falasi, Managing Director of Emaar Pakistan said: 'Our goal is to create a series of exciting developments that set new standards for commercial and residential property. Highlands, Canyon Views and Crescent Bay will set these standards and are the first of many projects that we have planned for other cities in Pakistan, which we will be developing over the next few years.'

World famous master planners on the Crescent Bay development are Halcrow International with architects Norr and Holford while master planners WATG, RNL and JZMK are working on Highlands and Canyon Views projects.

Architects for the Islamabad projects are Mazen N. Issa, Alexandra Hayes, Bassenian Lagoni and Saunders & Wiant. The master planners have brought inspiration from the world's best designed residential communities to Pakistan - offering another Emaar signature landmark to the region.

Al Falasi added: 'Furthermore, we are aiming to preserve 20 per cent of the project area as green space, offering a haven of peace and natural beauty in the middle of a thriving community.'

Emaar's innovative offering of self-contained, amenities-rich communities have created lifestyle options that have been the first choice for many residents around the world. The integration of schools, health facilities, parks, landscaped grounds and retail centres into master-planned golf, equestrian and marina-themed lifestyles has proved a winning combination.

With joint ventures and projects covering Saudi Arabia, Syria, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and India, Emaar is taking its winning formula first conceived in its home base Dubai to the rest of the world.

THE CENTAURUS U/C

The Perth office of Woodhead International has won an international paid design competition for a $A600 million mixed-use development in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Woodhead was the only Australian firm invited to take part in a field of five architectural practices.

The development is to be located on a high-profile site in the Pakistani capital and will include a five-star hotel, office tower, apartment tower, a retail centre and extensive formal landscaping.

Woodhead principal and manager of the Perth office, Mark Unger, told WA Business News the project, for a consortium of businessmen, was the biggest land deal in Pakistan’s history.

Having been invited to participate in the competition, invitees were given six weeks to work on their submissions.

Mr Unger said the project design would be run out of the Perth office in conjunction with Pakistan-based firm Arcob Associates, with a December 2008 target for com-pletion of the construction phase.

“The Perth office has never taken the lead on a project like this; it is one of the better design offices and is relatively proximate compared to our offices over east,” Mr Unger said.

The competition theme was based on the principle of ‘Chahar Bagh’, which translates to ‘four gardens’ in Persian, a planning principle brought to Pakistan by the Moguls thousands of years ago, according to Mr Unger.

“We divided the site into four parts consisting of apartments, the office and hotel tower, retail and the gardens,” he said.

“The scheme has proceeded into design development and consolidates Woodhead Inter-national’s presence in South-East Asia and the sub-continent.”

Woodhead has seven offices in Australia, two in China and one in Singapore.

The Woodhead announcement comes amid moves by several other Australian firms into Asia and the Middle East, attracted by projects collectively worth tens of billions of dollars.

Consulting engineering firm GHD has several projects in the region, including master planning in conjunction with Woods Bagot, for Dubai Maritime City, a new $US1 billion infrastructure project.

GHD has also been appointed as project manager for one of the world’s largest urban developments, known as The Palms, in Dubai.

Architecture firm The Cox Group also recently beat international competitors to win a major university project planned for the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, and architects Woods Bagot last year designed the $400 million College of Technology in Doha, Qatar.

Perth-based BG&E is providing structural engineering services for a 21-tower residential apartment project being constructed by Multiplex in Dubai, and is also working on three other high-rise developments, including a 70-storey tower.

CREEK-VISTA

If you are looking at new concepts of living,Creek Towers is just the place. These spectacular high rise waterfront towers directly overlook the waters of Gizri Creek.The dynamic two building complex, offers unparalleled views of the Arabian Sea, Karachi Creek and Mangroues,and the DHA golf course. Being part of Creek Towers living means more than just living in a dream home perched high. It establishes residents as a member of a community of unparalleled distinction, in the most prestigious part of Karachi.

DOLMEN CITY TOWER

Location: HC-3, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi
Purpose: Office and retail


Project Dolmen City, situated on the tranquil sea, is the largest and classiest in shopping concepts in Pakistan. It is part of a grand master plan to creat a city within a city and one of the most prestigious building projects in Pakistan. It is only one of its kind in Pakistan.

It is the newest dimension in the concept of shopping and office space with a plot size of 31,494 sq. meters. Dolmen City comprises four towers housing office space plus a mega mall. The Executive Tower, 12 storeys high; the Triangular 17-storey tower; and the two 60-storey high towers will house office spaces. The facade of Dolmen City complex is designed with 'curtain walls', 'aluminum composite' and 'fair faced' panels which will be weather proof and durable, requiring no painting or maintenance. The glass used will be double-glazed and tempered making it sound proof.

Source: Brochure, Dolmen City.