ArabianBusiness.com - Middle East Business News
Sunday, 07 September 2008 | 06:00 UAE time

YOUR DIRECTORY /

Print this page Print this page | Email this to a friend Email this to a friend | Discuss this article (0 Comments) |

Crystal clear success

by Diana Milne on Monday, 10 March 2008

The explosion in demand for water features across the Middle East means big business for Canadian based crystal fountains. Diana Milne meets the company's director of overseas operations, Michael Denman, to find out how it is meeting the demand.

Visit most cities in the Middle East and you can't miss the numerous elaborate water features decorating public areas, shopping malls and hotels.

And the company behind many of the spectacular water features is Canada-based Crystal Fountains - a leading designer of water features across the world which has been operating since 1976.

Story continues below
advertisement

On the whole in terms of development activity, Europe and the Middle East are the most active areas for us.

The company is experiencing such huge demand from the Middle East that it has recently opened offices in Dubai and Kuwait.

It has worked on numerous projects across the region, including water features in the Burjuman Centre, Dubai and throughout the Abu Dhabi Municipality and is working with Emaar on the Burj Dubai development.

It is the construction and real estate boom that is driving demand for Crystal Fountains' products in the Middle East - but as Michael Denman, director of overseas operations explains, water features also have a unique appeal to Middle East countries establishing themselves as leisure destinations.

"One reason why water features are so popular in the Middle East is the heat," says Denman.

"The cooling effects of water make these features very appealing in the Middle East.

"As a leisure destination which places like Dubai have become, incorporating water into the property schemes is something which people are naturally attracted to."

He goes on to say that developers are increasingly incorporating water features into their real estate schemes as a way of attracting potential customers.

"More and more the water features are being used as a sophisticated marketing tool."

"That element of attraction is becoming more and more in vogue."

"In Dubai there's always this thing of people trying to do the biggest and the best."

"So people are trying to come up with new ideas that will attract people to their schemes and water is one aspect that is pretty powerful as an architectural tool."

Crystal Fountains does not install water features, however, it designs them, provides consultancy services and also has divisions which manufacture commercial and residential fountain components.

"We offer services in three areas: The first one being on projects where property developers or architects are seeking to do what one would probably describe as a more challenging water feature."


Print Print | Email Email | Discuss this article |



USER COMMENTS (0 COMMENTS)

CLICK HERE TO POST A COMMENT

Add your Comment
All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *
(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code * Code


Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.
From  Current Issue

 EMAIL ALERTS

  1. Burjuman Centre LLC

  2. Crystal Fountains

  3. Real Estate



BUSINESS FEATURES

City of Silk

Arabian Business examines the $132bn mega-development set to transform the future of Kuwait.

Capital appreciation

Abu Dhabi's property market is hotter than the Gulf's August waters and prices are set to keep soaring.

Going green

Kim Latham investigates why developers are building more and more sustainable properties.

ArabianBusiness.com/Jobs - Middle East Jobs Search
  1. General Manager - Property Sales Company
    Industry: Property
    Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
  2. Vice President - MIS
    Industry: Property
    Location: Dubai, UAE
Browse all jobs »

BUSINESS INTERVIEWS

Ocean of opportunity

Ocean View's Managing Director Tim Boswell reveals some of the latest investments on the market.

The entertainer

Claire Ferris-Lay meets Saeed Al Muntafiq, the man responsible for the $65bn Dubailand project.

Post-war hero

Azizi Investments recently made its Dubai debut. But there's more to this developer than meets the eye.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM